Essay on Domestic Violence: Why Do Women Stay?

Domestic violence is an act of assault that happens every day, fixing an issue like domestic violence is hard but not impossible. By speaking out and helping those who have been abused is the hardest but most effective way of limiting domestic violence. Lots of people blame domestic violence related issues on substance abuse or a controlling man. Those statements may be true but it’s an over exaggeration. Abuse causes severe physiological effects as well as emotional. Domestic violence can be almost anything and can happen to anyone at any time.

There are not any real causes of domestic violence. However, there are unit theories that attempt to justify why men use violence against ladies. Such things as family pathology, dangerous communication skills, stress, chemical dependency, provocation by ladies, lack of spirituality, and economic hardship area unit problems associated towards the fighting of ladies. However, “Violence may be a behavioral alternative that the batterer should take responsibility. No language or different act is provocation or justification for violent behavior” (Domestic Violence, 1). Victims of violence suffer psychological and physical injuries. Victims could become “masters of disguise, staying home after they are marred… ” (Asher, Elba, and Sugg 1).

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior or coercive control in any relationship that is used by one person to gain or maintain power and control over another. (Violence). Most of society’s think domestic violence is when one of the spouses is abusing the other spouse. Domestic violence can occur between anyone who has lived together at one point of time; couples who have never lived together, but have a child together and family member who has live together in the same household. Domestic violence can happen to anyone, regardless of their class, religion, ethnic background, education, age, gender, disability status, sexual orientation, gender presentation, or immigration status. The domestic violence can place in different categories, such as; emotional abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse and financial abuse. Researcher had discovered tactics that the abusers use to control their victims such as; dominance, humiliation, isolation, threats, intimidation, denial and shifting blame. (Helpguide.org).

As I describe the condition I found myself in, you must realize that on the outside I actually appeared to be doing very well. I wasn’t black and blue like the battered women off of the public awareness commercials. I was physically healthy and so was my young son. I had a full-time job and appeared to be handling the single mom life fairly well. So when I walked into the counselor’s office that first day I appeared to be a fairly healthy individual. Without any emotion that day, I told the counselor that there had been some abuse in my past marriage. I had no idea then that my life had took a turn.

Women will continue to suffer from domestic violence unless there is some sort of intervention to help them. When dealing with this population, it is essential to create a safe environment where the woman can talk freely about the abuse without any retaliation from the abuser. When someone comes into a therapeutic session, everyone deserves to be treated with respect and care. This in turn will create a sense of hope that a different type of life can be possible. Also, knowing that there is a support system can help the woman begin the process of change. Despite this, the process of leaving the abusive partner is slow (Warshaw, n.d.)

Domestic violence is a very important social problem that we must educate ourselves on because it has such a profound and negative effect on the individual(s) being abused. They are affected mentally, emotionally, physically, and I know from experience that the scars can run very deep. Being in an abusive relationship for three years was devastating to my self-image as a teenager, and because of these feelings of inadequacy, my decreasing esteem allowed me to stay in such a dangerous scenario. Healing from the negative effects of that relationship has been a difficult journey for me, and I can only imagine how much more difficult it must be for women abused for years on end. To this day, I struggle greatly with the ability to let go of my own "control"

It is difficult for a person to understand the feeling of not having any control over his or her body, until he or she has experienced domestic violence. When I came to realize that I had no say over my body, and the only thing left to soar free was my soul, I learned that it was a cruel world out there. However, after two years of unforgivable pain and torment, I decided to get my life back. I went to counseling sessions that my close friend set up for me. The counselor helped me realize that I needed to come to terms with the harsh reality of what was happening. After that, I learned that the abuse was not my fault. This was where I realized that I was not alone, and that I did not deserve the pain.

There are five different ways he will try to get the woman back. One way is for

Just like an alcoholic has a hard time admitting alcoholism, it is hard for a person in love to accept and fight against a spouse abusing him or her. For example, in "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love," Terri shares her experience in her previous marriage, "He beat me up one night. He dragged me around the living room by my ankles. He kept saying, ‘I love you, I love you…,'" (Carver 763) where she explains how her husband would beat her and abuse her physically, but she still considered it being love.

Every choice that an abused woman considers to do with regards in seeking help or ending the relationship involves a variety of risks. Time and time again, the common question arises, “why doesn’t she just leave?” Most often abused women, at great and potentially fatal risk, do leave their abusive relationships. However, there is a multitude of barriers, including increasing abuse and the potential for re-victimization by the system that does not respond accordingly, and most often force many women to return to their abusers. A woman may become vulnerable as she goes through the stages of leaving her abuser. There are many reasons why a woman becomes vulnerable; guilt, denial, and fear may be among a few reasons, though no matter what the

Domestic abuse is a startling issue in today’s society, and there are many different forms of it. Domestic abuse is defined as “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another” [1]. There are numerous forms of domestic abuse, including both physical and emotional violence. Many people who are trapped in these toxic relationships often feel helpless and worthless, and may think they have no way to escape their situation. However, with the right guidance and support, they can free themselves and emerge as a stronger person.

The Battered Women Syndrome is a series of characteristics in women who are physically and psychologically abused by an important dominant male in their lives. These women learn helplessness and dependency; sometimes these characteristics originate from childhood. According to Dr. Lenore E. Walker, a woman must experience two cycles, before she can be labeled a “battered woman”. The two cycles are called the “cycle of violence”. This cycle leads to the feeling that the abuse will never stop. It almost becomes natural. Sometimes the relationships will be calm, and the abuser will apologize for what happened. This part is called the “honeymoon cycle”, but at other points in the cycle the tension and

Abstract Domestic Violence is a crisis that many families have experienced. Women are often caught off guard and are unprepared for the series of battering to occur; they may be unsure of how to proceed and what they will do if they decide to leave. Crisis affects each woman differently. An individual’s personal, material, and social resources impact how a person will respond to a crisis. The individual’s resources also impact how long the person will be going through

Every year in the United States, One in four women are victims of the domestic violence; however, this is only based on what has been reported to the department of justice (Stahly 2008). While men are also victims of domestic violence, women are more often the victims. Moreover, 90% of domestic violence is male initiated. In severe cases domestic violence ends with victims being murdered. More specifically, domestic violence resulted in 2,340 deaths in the United States in 2007, and 70% of those killed were females (CDC 2012). Many people think that victims have the option of leaving and many people blame victims for putting up with the abuse; what many people don 't know is, victims of domestic violence have many reasons preventing them from leaving their abusers, these reasons include, isolation, having children bounding them with the abuser and lack of financial support. "It 's never pretty when you leave an abusive and controlling relationship. The warden always protests when a prison gets shut down," says Dr. Steve Maraboli (qtd from web). Whether a victim stays or leaves their abuser, the outcomes of both situations are not always as easy as many people predict. In some situations, the outcomes of leaving may be very dangerous for both the victim and her children.

Abuse can have many different meanings, there is one in particular that takes control in many Americans relationship, “physical maltreatment” (Abuse). Sadly there is an increasing amount of young adults going through an abusive relationship or were in one. Many of the people that become abusers consider violence as a normal behavior because they have witnessed it on a daily basis. They than begin to mistreat everyone that comes in his or her way. An abuser is frequently interested in controlling their victims. An abuser’s behavior is usually manipulating, in order to make their victims