Running head: FAMILY SYSTEM THEORY 1

Family System Theory

Erika Paredes

Fresno Pacific University

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The family system is a theory that was introduced by Dr. Murray Bowen. Dr. Murray

Bowen had mentioned that individuals. That was not capable of being understood and had to

be isolated based on the family emotions. Family system theory includes any martial conflicts,

emotional, dysfunctions and impairment. In a family system in order for the relationship to

stay together in a marriage or relationships with children everybody needs to work together. In

this theory children suffer from abuse, neglect, trauma, emotional and physical mental health.

Children in this theory are the ones that have to go through this tough time especially when

they see conflicts that arise in their home. That includes the child seeking for help either at

school, with their counselors or teachers.

My topic is based on the family system theory is domestic violence. The reason I am

focusing on this topic is, because I would like to know the outcome on the children that witness

domestic violence while growing up. Especially to what concerns us as teachers or futures

teacher we have to look for. The reason is, because children don’t know how to ask for help and

speak up for themselves. Just for the reason that I see it as the age were the children are more

scared to speak for them and the person being abused. Relating it to Bowen’s basic concepts as

the nuclear family that describes four relationship patterns. Were in a relationship a family has

to regulate anxiety, martial conflict, and emotional distance. All which affect a family

development.

Which, it relates to the first level in Bowen’s family system theory that is the levels of

differentiation in families. Bowen had developed a scale that would measure a person self-

thinking. The way a person thinks, feels and acts affects the children as they observe how a
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person acts. Domestic violence doesn’t only affect families mentally or physically, but they also

end up in the streets living with their children. Children in a domestic violence home can affect

children’s emotional and cognitive development, social functioning and the ability to learn,

moral development and the ability to have a negotiable intimate relationship later on in life

Victims of family violence that are not physically assaulted they could suffer from social

and mental health problems (Osofkly 1995:Edleson 199a). The triangle concept on Bowen’s

system reflects a three-person relationship. When tension starts to arise in a conflict it could

easily shift from one person to a three person. When the amount of triangles start to build it

can stabilize the spreading of tension. That’s how it works in a relationship were children are

around. Which, I could relate it to one of my students that mentions how the parents fight at

home, but she hears them from the room. However, once the big brother walks into the

parent’s room they are capable of stop the conflict. It shows how even when parents have

arguments behind doors children catch on to things like that.

As a preschool teacher we try to inform the children in a clear way for them to

understand that it’s not appropriate for others to lay a hand on them. As a preschool teacher

we usually have siblings in our classroom as Murray explained in his concept of sibling position.

Were siblings who grow in the same position have common characteristics. I have a situation

like that were one of the siblings the oldest one in aggressive at home and at school Which,

now the youngest sibling is being more clingy towards the teacher asking for hugs and wanting

to give kisses. The reason being is because parents are going through a divorce and not having

the father at home they’re not getting the attention they need.
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Murray Bowen had the opportunity to make an emotional system that gives the

freedom to individuals with a less sensitive way when they are caught in a difficult situation.

Especially towards families who are in a domestic home. The families when attending therapy,

counseling or any type of help they follow concept that help them get through the violence.

Bowen’s societal emotional process is within a family that helps the family as a progressive and

regressive period. It compares and contracts with the emotional cut off were people who have

emotional issues tend to cutoff others from their lives. That happens in a domestic violence

home were the children who witness violence in the home they feel as if others will harm them.

That affects the children emotions and social skills. As Bowen describes his theory the family

system is to help individuals increase the capability to have a better emotional contact with

others in their families either being extended of nuclear family.

“The more good experiences a baby has in a relationship the more chances there is for

more connections to be made, not just emotionally, but also neurologically.”(Thomson Salo and

Paul, 2006, p.3) Bowen made his theory very understandable to process. A family goes through

an emotional process and the way its handled is the way the family functions. These concepts

don’t always fit well with the families’ expectations or needs. Especially when families have

gone through a domestic violence situation and have to attend counseling all together. Any

family member can give that motivation that can alter the family to an emotional process if

they are willing to work together. Many times that’s that one person is the child. That’s why

families who have differences need to find different strategies to fix their misunderstandings.

The family system theory by Murray Bowen needs to be put out their to the public. That way

families could be informed about the concepts that could probably work for them one day.
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References

Brown, J. (1988). Bowen Family Systems Theory and Practice: Illustration and Critique. nature,
97, 98.

Edleson, J. (1999). Children's witnessing of adult domestic violence. Journal of Interpersonal

Violence, 14(8), 839.

Murray Bowen, M.D. and The Nine Concepts in Family Systems Theory. (2013, September 12).
Retrieved February 06, 2017, from https://yourmindfulcompass.com/dr-bowen/

Tomison, A. M. (2000). Exploring family violence: links between child maltreatment and

domestic violence.