Research Paper On Battered Women's Syndrome

Tanya Mitchell frantically called 911 to report a shooting-a shooting she committed. In an act of self-defense against her abusive husband who, at the time, was threatening to kill her, she did what she had to do to save her own life. From her reports, her husband was not only abusive, but that he gave men in his “motorcycle club” permission to gang rape her-while he watched. Specific example of his sadistic abuse include him telling her they were going to get married while holding her at gunpoint, making her play Russian roulette, and even trying to rip off her nails. Her attorneys were going to use Battered Woman Syndrome (to take her psychological health based off of her abuse) as a factor in the case but were not confident it would

One Afternoon Syke Jones was discovered in his home by his wife Delia and pronounced dead due to a venomous snake bite. Soon after it was brought to the attention of the court that Delia has been charged with the case of his death. The case has been examined by the Jury on all accounts from the defender and prosecutor. We, the Jury, find Delia Jones not guilty on account of all chargers of murder or manslaughter. The Jury has come to this conclusion due to there being no intention of death on her part, she suffers from Battered Women’s Syndrome, And that she seems to be no threat to society then, now or in the future.

The report responding to section 40507 of the Violence Against Women Act from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services- National Institute of Mental Health determined that:

At least a third of all women murdered in the U.S are killed by their male partner. Although both men and women can fall victim to “Battered Person Syndrome”, so many women have been diagnosed with this disease that females were given their own branch from the diagnosis called “Battered Woman Syndrome”. Battered Woman Syndrome a.k.a BWS is a psychological and physical condition of a woman who has suffered extreme physical, emotional, or sexual abuse from another person (Battered person syndrome). BWS is a mental disorder commonly paired with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This psychological disorder is one of the many reasons why women feel as though they cannot leave their current situation with their abuser. Due to this, many battered

When looking into Battered Woman Syndrome it is a relatively new defense and standing point in the court of law compared to other methods. This defense has also gained a ton of scrutiny in its time as it is a very vague defense and can be used in a multitude of situations in which it does not exactly apply as it would to others. I personally feel that this defense can be very helpful to women who truly need it, and it provides a cover for women who truly don’t need to be protected and need to be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law for the crimes which they have committed. This is something we went over for a journal and it interested me a great deal, especially with the case of Susan Wright.

The controversial concept of Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) is a psychological theory that aims to explain the behavior of certain women who suffer abuse from their husbands, partners, or significant others. The theory was first proposed and introduced by Dr. Lenore Walker in the 1970’s based on her clinical observations. It then quickly became a common way to validate criminal behavior of women who were charged with the murder of their partner, however since the syndrome wasn’t confirmed through scientific research as a real disorder, it didn’t enjoy widespread support from the forensic psychologist’s community.

I began researching to find information and found that “Battered Woman Syndrome” was when the abused woman believes that what is happening to her and what she is going through is her fault. I began to cry because this was me, believing that everything was my fault. If I could just cook better or if I could just not do whatever it was that I was doing that upset him that I could stop the abuse. It seemed that I could not please him no matter what I did. I also believed this was my husband, so I had to try to make him happy no matter what happened to me. I could not leave because I was worried about what people would say about me, especially if they knew that my marriage was not working.

As of today there are a lot of intervention programs that assist both women and men who are either abusers or have been abused. Kurz (1990) exposes research on women advocates who are battered and mentions how health care facilities should provide interventions for battered women. This would be a huge improvement for battered women because many health officials just recommend therapist solutions for women. The NASW “national association of social workers” (2016) explains different approaches to cope with battered women who have been through a domestic situation with their spouse. These approaches include “making referrals to local recourses such as healthy support systems and proper explanations for advocacy, or using a hotline to get connected

Battered women are exposed to many forms of intimate partner abuse. This paper will explore the contributors of anxiety, depression, memory loss; the re-experiencing of the trauma and the disruption of interpersonal relationships; and some of the difficulties that battered women face when trying to leave their abusers.

A justice-related issue that I see relevant to our society today is in relation to women who suffer from domestic violence/ battering. Batter Women Syndrome (BWS) has recently been reformed in the United States as the Batter Person Syndrome (BPS) to include men as potential victims of domestic violence/ batter. The term batter person syndrome has been recognized as a social issue and legal changes have taken place in the United States in order to protect individuals affected by domestic violence/ battering. My overall goal for this essay is to remind people of the historical origins behind this social issue, the advancements that have been made by our society in the legal system, and to suggest policy changes to improve the legal

(Battered Woman's Syndrome). If it is confusing because BWS is not a legal defense but the

Battered women’s syndrome is a repercussion of domestic violence, specifically having an identified set of distinct psychological behavioural symptoms that result from prolonged exposure to significant abuses of violence. Lack of perceptiveness and inability to judge danger and normal levels of behaviour reflect the most common characteristics of this syndrome.

1). This fact shows how important it is to supplement many programs within the US to supplement the huge amounts of battered women who never receive justice for their abuse. Women who have been abused by their husbands have many rights to defend themselves if they feel their self or family lives are in danger. The battered woman syndrome is a common term used in place for women who go through domestic violence relationships. Dixon stated within an article that “Battered Women Syndrome was first proposed in the 1970’s and was based on the clinical observations of Dr. Lenore Walker” (Dixon, 2007, pg. 1). According to the book Family Violence, Wallace and Roberson (2014) defines battered women syndrome as “a pattern of psychological symptoms that develop after someone has lived in a battering relationship” (Wallace & Roberson, 2014, pg.233). Based on this definition woman who is abused are negatively affected and may adapt this syndrome. For many years the battered women syndrome was not used within the court system as a defense for women. Women and prosecutors had to fight their way out before this law was passed in different states. This leads to the effects on how BWS psychological conditions can really affect women who have been

Domestic violence has been a main issue throughout history and all over the world; it can evidentially affect children, the elderly, women, and even men. Although abuse can affect many individuals, a significant portion of domestic abuse cases are against women. Globally, women are constantly facing physical, social and mental abuse by men and/or their significant others. In past years, the issue of domestic violence has gained the attention of researchers. In fact, studies have shown that it is a global issue negatively impacting the social and health status of individuals, particularly women. A survey of domestic abuse in Canada signifies that 29% of married women have been abused by their partners at least once (Nwosu, 2006). Many argue

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