Battered Woman Syndrome Essay

Tanya Mitchell suffers from Battered Woman Syndrome. Tanya Mitchell was charged with second degree murder in 2002. Mitchell killed her abusive husband because she thought her life was in danger (Moscatello, 2015). Tanya’s husband used to make threats of killing her. Her husband was also tied to law enforcement so it was hard for Mitchell to seek help. A shelter she requested help from told her she could no longer stay there because of the threats her husband and his friends made to staff. Women are afraid to seek help when involved in domestic violence situations because they fear the consequences may be greater. “Studies have found that in 85 percent of domestic homicide cases, police were called at least once before the killing occurred” (Police Foundation, 2015). Mitchell’s friends and coworkers took pictures of the marks and bruises she endured during her relationship so she can use it as evidence against her husband, Jimmy Mitchell. Tanya Mitchell is a battered woman.

After being abused for a long time, a woman may develop Battered Woman Syndrome. “Battered woman syndrome
Approximately, almost 500 abused and battered women kill their partners every year because of “explicit terroristic death threats, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug-induced psychosis, and/or recurring nightmares or intrusive thoughts of their own death at the hands of the batter” (Roberts, 2006). BWS is recognized by many states as a legitimate mental disorder. An accurate medical diagnosis can be completed when the medical checkup is performed within a reasonable time of the battering; however, there are non-definitive symptoms of BWS. The symptoms may come from other circumstances or