Battered woman syndrome

1162 Words5 Pages
Battered Woman Syndrome is a terrible thing that people go through. Just because it says woman doesn’t mean that woman are the only victims in this cruel cycle of abuse. A male could be a victim as well. Even though our society doesn’t make to realize that it could be a guy getting abused it has happened. The definition of battered woman syndrome, according to the dictionary, is a pattern of signs and symptoms, such as fearfulness and a feeling of helplessness, commonly appearing in women who are physically and mentally abused over an extended period by a husband or partner (battered woman syndrome). 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 arguments just soar all the time (divorcenet.12-3-00). After years, the cycle starts to go quicker. At this point, the woman starts to feel trapped, because she would go through these cycles more than once a day. At some, certain point, she will have to act out in what is legally considered “self-defense”. Stereotypes of battered women will always be around. Many people wonder why don’t the wives or girlfriends just get help?, why don’t they tell someone?, or just get up and leave. People fail to realize that leaving an abusive relationship can make matters worst. Some can’t leave because she is financially dependent or they have children, and/or their mates threaten to kill her and her children or take her children away. A real mother would never leave her children, in any situation. The prosecutors usually always bring up these
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