Give reasons why many battered wives choose to remain with their husbands. How can incidents of spouse abuse be reduced in our society?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Incidents of physical abuse between spouses are not isolated, but tend to recur frequently in a marriage. Spouse abuse occurs as often among the well educated as among the less educated. A surprising number of battered women do not permanently leave their husbands for a variety of reasons. Many are socialized to play a subordinate role to their husbands, and the husbands use violence and psychological abuse to make them feel too inadequate to live on their own. Some women believe it is their moral duty to stick it out to the end-that marriage is forever, for better or for worse. Many hope (in spite of the continuing violence) that their husbands will change. Some fear that, if they try to leave, their husbands will retaliate with even more severe beatings. A fair number do not view leaving as a viable alternative because they feel financially dependent. Many have young children and do not believe they have the resources to raise children on their own. Some believe the occasional beatings are better than the loneliness and insecurity connected with leaving. Some dread the stigma associated with separation or divorce. These women are captives in their own homes.
New services in recent years have been developed for battered women. Shelter homes for battered women and their children have been established in many communities. These shelters give abused women an opportunity to flee from their abusive situation. The women also generally receive counseling, assistance in finding a job, and legal help. Services to battered women now include "safety planning," which is an empowerment approach to help women develop a repertoire of resources to maintain their safety. In some areas, programs are also being established for the husbands. These programs include group therapy for batterers, anger management programs for batterers, marriage counseling for both spouses, and 24-hour hotlines that encourage potential spouse abusers to call when they are angry. Many communities also have public information programs to inform battered women that they have a legal right not to be abused and that there are resources to stop the abuse. In an effort to treat domestic abuse as seriously as crimes between strangers, many states have enacted a domestic abuse law that requires police to make an arrest (of either spouse, but usually the husband) if physical abuse has occurred and injury or threat of further harm exists.

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