Coincidence?

In contacting family members recently to get a more personalized picture of my grandparents and great-grandparents, whom I never knew, I recently learned enough about my great-uncle to realize there must have been a pattern of abuse in the family; it was not limited to one man alone, but repeated over 3 generations.

How much of a coincidence would it be that a man's brother is described as demanding and difficult to get along with; the [first] man's eldest son as an adult is described as violent toward his family, with episodes often taking place in the kitchen; and the man's adult grandsons exhibit abusive behavior to their families, with episodes centering around the kitchen. 

So, what kind of melt-downs did my great-grandfather Kristian have in the kitchen of his home, how did he treat his wife Mary Reynolds, and over how many years did this take place in order for it to be imitated by not only his eldest son, but probably his 2nd son as well, who in turn set the example for his 2 sons.

And why the kitchen?!  I wonder if there was some significance based on life in Norway.  Or was it as simple as the kitchen being the one place in the home the family gathered together on a consistent basis?