Battered Women Syndrome Analysis

wants her trust back so that he can break it again. During the apology he pretends as though his actions were not really out of control and that they did not really hurt her physically or emotionally. He also over exaggerates his expression of how much he loves her and promises never to hurt her again. Walker illustrates this phase perfectly describing the abuser as a “little boy who has done something wrong, the child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Confessing when caught and cries for forgiveness” (Walker, 65). The woman almost always forgives him during this stage because he “typically expresses regret and profusely apologizes, usually promising never to batter the woman again which contributes to the victim staying in the abusive

She feels the need to hide under the “shield” of Battered Women Syndrome for protection. I am arguing that women do this in order to deflect the severe consequences that come with murder whether it was preemptively executed or not. I can argue this because men do not have a shield of protection or a fancy name for self-defense that they can hide behind in order to combat the severity of consequences that come with murder. Look at it this way, if the roles where flipped and a man was the victim, he would not have the luxury to claim Battered Man Syndrome, mainly because it does not exist. In addition, conservative critics reveal that “Battered Women Syndrome is a special privilege secured only for women that hides any ulterior motives that may have gone into the killing of the attacker” (Wallace, 1749). Again, Battered Women Syndrome is acting as a buffer for women. I will also argue that this becomes problematic specifically in the year 2017 when women are fighting for equal rights, equal pay, having control over their bodies etc. When women claim Battered Women Syndrome as self-defense they contradict themselves. Battered Women Syndrome indicates to the court and to the community that women are not as strong as men and need some extra cushion/protection when dealing with big issues such as murder. Women alone will not be able to make their case and win. They will not be able to handle the consequences solely as they are, so women must have something that they can fall back on and depend on for protection. As a woman, I feel very strongly about this argument in particular against the justification of Battered Women Syndrome as self-defense. How can we take a step forward into one direction when the other foot is stuck in gum behind