Domestic Violence Against Women Is a Serious Problem (From Violence: Opposing Viewpoints, P 130-136, 1996, David Bender, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-159343)

• NCJ Number: 159357
• Author(s): R B Flowers
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

Domestic violence has been a problem for women throughout history; such violence affects women of every socioeconomic group and often makes battered women so desperate they actually kill their abusers to prevent further abuse.

Abstract

One study of domestic violence found women to be victims of intimates at a rate three times as often as men. With advances in understanding relationships and effects of behavior, the definition of the battered woman has broadened in recent years. The term now reflects not only physical abuse but also psychological and emotional abuse, thus indicating women can be victimized by their mates in many ways. While most experts agree the battering of women has reached epidemic proportions, researchers have found the number of women who actually report abuse is much smaller. Reasons for the underreporting of domestic violence include victim denial, protection of the batterer, disavowal techniques to keep it in the family, a silent desire to be abused, and fear of alternatives. Battered women typically view themselves as inferior to men, have a tendency to cope with anger through denial, and suffer from depression and feelings of guilt. Reasons why women stay with abusive partners are considered, and the issue of self-defense when women murder their partners is discussed. Breaking the cycle of abusive treatment is viewed as the most difficult aspect of the battered woman's syndrome.