Prolonged Abuse

Dianne Feinstein, a senior United States senator once said “Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of bruises and scars. It is devastating to be abused by someone you love and thinks loves you in return.” Although societal awareness and criticism of this issue has been increased in recent years, spousal abuse still remains a persistent issue because of the power and control held by the abuser and also, the fear that the victim suffer from these situations. Historically, women were seen as properties and it was not too long ago that the husband was legally allowed to beat his wife as long as the stick was not thicker than his thumb. People argue that the blame should still be on the woman because she should have seeked help or eloped. However, these people do not understand that mental disorder is also an element of this topic and sometimes, there’s really no possible way for the woman to escape. From these facts, I believe that prolonged abuse should be a defence for killing.

Why do some men batter women? Many theories have developed and they include different factors such as economic hardships and stress. However, the main cause of this issue is that men feel that violence is an effective approach to gaining control in his relationship and the satisfaction of not having to suffer from any consequences. The men are using their wives as an excuse to release their angry emotions due to the fact that they may have just lost his job or has misspent their money at the casino. People are always asking the ignorant question: “Why can’t the woman just leave?” In fact, in an abusive relationship, the most dangerous time is when the woman leaves the man because she has probably been threatened before by him. When this stage is reached, the man will feel betrayed and he will go to great lengths to get his control back. He won’t stop until his victim is dead and I think that it is well justified that battered women who kill do so out of fear for her life and the lives of her children. With all those scars accumulated from the numerous years of abuse, it can psychologically degrade her and destroy her self-esteem. With the abuser’s presence in her life, she will only continue to learn to be dependant on her husband and strive to survival as a helpless soul.

In conclusion, domestic violence is entirely about control and when a woman is placed in such environment, her position is extremely dangerous. I definitely believe that the battered woman defence is justified because she is constantly around someone who is able to beat her to death and because of her mental state of mind, it is unfortunate that the abuser has became a central part of her life. Violence at home leads to neglection of children and if the family court knows that the children of the victim lives with the victim, they can be taken away from her. In addition, they will experience behavioural and developmental problems later on in their teenage years. Furthermore, battered women should not be blamed for their acts of self-defense; they deserve to be free from fear and be accepted by the society.