Open Access Journal
QUALIS
B1
2021-2024
quadriênio
Open Access Journal
B1
2021-2024
quadriênio
This study, based on a bibliographic review, analyzes the process through which the cycle of abuse is established and emotionally sustained by emotional dependence, leading women to remain in a relationship marked by fear and affective domination, even in the face of pain. The findings reveal the cruelty of the cycle of violence: daughters and sons of victims either reproduce or suffer aggression, while underreporting and impunity leave women and children exposed to continued violence. In this regard, scientific articles in the field of Psychology published between 2020 and 2025 and written in Portuguese were selected, enabling a qualitative analysis that identified three central axes: manifestations of violence and control in abusive relationships; the dynamics and cycle of abuse; and the factors that sustain permanence in such relationships. The final sample consisted of 22 analyzed articles. The analytical process revealed that remaining immersed in this type of relationship goes beyond the dimension of choice, constituting an entanglement in a network of psychological violence that permeates thoughts, feelings, and self-perceptions. Emotional dependence not only explains the victim’s return to the abusive relationship but also highlights how subtle forms of control infiltrate life and desire, intensifying the cycle of submission and emotional confinement while the individual remains embedded within it.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Jayne Maximiano, Camilla Lopes