Why Do Victims Stay in Abusive and Unhealthy Relationships?
First, it must be said that we also need to ask the larger questions “why do people batter?” and “why do we allow battering to continue in our society?” Next, we need to recognize that many people do leave or make attempts to leave a battering relationship. Leaving is not always an event; it is a process. People sometimes make 3-4 attempts to leave before they leave for good. It is important to understand that there are many reasons why victims stay in battering relationships. Some of them are listed below: Society’s Attitudes: When the dominant culture minimizes or ignores violence, it is harder for the person being battered to identify what is happening early on. Phrases like “it’s just a lover’s quarrel,” “everyone has hard times,” or “you just like to create drama” minimize very real acts of violence. Also, the media glamorizes jealousy as a sign of love. Fear: People fear being alone, being on their own, taking care of children alone. They also are afraid of being killed if they a
