Battered Woman Syndrome Research Paper

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I. Introduction and Overview

Battered women and their abusers often suffer from psychological disorders and past abuse in their childhood that may make them more vulnerable to fall into the situation with their respective roles. Faced with limited options, women sometimes decide to either run away, stay or kill their abusers. Women often as a consequence of the abuse suffer from Battered Woman Syndrome that is often used as an explanation as to why they kill their abusers as self-defense. In this paper I will focus on understanding the psychology of the abused victim as well as the abuser. I will then discuss the options the victim has and what determines her actions and what consequences they may hold for her legally. Lastly, I will write …show more content…

Victims are said to undergo a “cycle of violence”, which comprises of three stages (Walker, 1992; Savage 2006). First, the “tension building phase” where the victim is subjected to low level of violent and verbal attack by the abuser (Walker, 1992; Savage 2006). The victim tends to ignore or incorrectly perceive the red flags (Walker, 1992; Savage 2006). Second, is the “battering phase” where the victim is subjected to high degree of violence and is aware that she is being abused (Walker, 1992; Savage 2006). Third, the “honeymoon phase” is one which follows the second phase immediately where the victim tends to forgive the abuser after he asks for forgiveness, reassures her of his love and promises of not abusing in the future (Walker, 1992; Savage 2006). Women often fall in this vicious cycle and are faced with learned helplessness (Walker, 1992; Savage 2006). With this psychology these women feel they cannot escape their abusers, have no control over what will happen to them and feel very hopeless to find courage to try to leave or ask for help (Walker, 1992; Savage

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