Battered Women Syndrome

Start counting to the number nine……… In that time a woman was assaulted or beaten in the United States alone according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. That means every minute approximately seven people are a victim of abuse, every hour 402 people, and every day 9,648. These numbers are astonishing and bring to light the tangibility of this issue. Domestic violence exists, it is a serious and an important issue I believe should be brought to the table of conversation. Domestic violence can rip family’s apart, cause people to loose trust in one another, as well as bring victims to their lowest points of self-worth. The abuse can be issued from multiple persons in the family: father to child, mother to child, teenage child

I have come to this conclusion based on five reasons. The first reasons is that Battered Women Syndrome suggests that women do not have the capacity for self-governance. The second reason explains that juries come to a conclusion based on sympathy alone. The third reason is that it sets a bad example of inviting violence to end violence. The fourth reason is that another alternative to killing could have been found. The fifth reason is that Battered Women Syndrome reinforces negative stereotypes that are typically associated with women. In addition to explaining these reasons I will also welcome challenges to my view. Some possible challenges include the statement that Battered Women Syndrome can save women from abusive relationships, that it can educate others about domestic violence, and lastly is that it allows women to be separate from men when being tried for

Walker within her book The Battered Woman (1979). Among the exhausted topics and details within Walker’s work I found her theory on “The Cycle of Violence” (Walker, 55) inflicted by the abuser to be very important in understanding domestic violence. This theory is broken down into three phases. The first phase is referred to as the “tension-building stage” (Walker, 56). Here minor outbursts of anger and rage are exhibited by the abuser. The woman often excuse these outbursts due to a bad day, an accident, or the mentality that “he did not mean to” attitude. The second phase is referred to as the “acute battering incident” (Walker, 59). Here the abuser becomes chaotic, unpredictable and brutal with his attacks. He does not calm down easily and the periods of rage and attacks whether physical, verbal or sexual abuse last longer in duration and arise more frequently compared to phase one. In this phase, Walker says that the woman’s “screaming for help may excite him further as she attempts to defend herself” (Walker, 62). Walker’s language depicts a gut retching image of the victims struggle. The third phase is the “kindness and contrite loving behavior” (Walker, 65). Here the abuser stops attacking his victim and knows that he has been out of control. His apology is magnified and exaggerated. He sees she is very upset and scared