Battered Woman Syndrome
Methodology
Battered woman syndrome is a psychological condition that occurs when a person experiences abuse in the hands of an intimate partner. Intimate relationships are meant to keep people happy and make them feel safe. However, when the relationship becomes abusive, people do not feel comfortable or safe. In an ideal situation, when one is not happy or secure in a relationship, they are expected to leave. However, due to many reasons, including fear, the majority of people in abusive relationships are unable to leave. Although domestic abuse can affect people of all genders, women are the biggest victims of domestic violence, mostly from intimate partners. This research paper will focus on finding out the types of abuse from an intimate partner that can cause one to develop battered woman syndrome. The paper will also discuss the stages, the treatment and the legal repercussions regarding the battered woman syndrome.
The information used in this research paper will be from secondary sources. Secondary sources apply to this research because of the limited time and resources. Much of the background work regarding battered woman syndrome has already been carried out. Therefore, most information is available in secondary sources.
The two journal articles used for this research project were eliminated based on their information. The journal articles were written not than five years ago. The timeline is to ensure updated information regarding the topic. The journal articles were also limited abuse related to intimate relationships as well as symptoms, treatment and legal implications of battered woman syndrome.
Literary review
The research paper will derive information from two journal articles. ‘Battered Woman Syndrome: Key elements of a Diagnosis Treatment Plan’ is a journal article by Lenore E. Walker. The report gives a detailed account of the diagnosis of Battered Woman Syndrome. The article also gives a range of treatment plans to cure the condition. Also, the article briefly discusses the legal issues surrounding the battered woman syndrome. This article is relevant to the research paper in that it gives updated information regarding battered woman syndrome. Furthermore, the journal article is related because it highlights almost all the issues concerning battered woman syndrome in a non-professional language, which makes it easy for a non-professional to understand.
‘Battered Woman Syndrome: Its Repercussions and Implications on Women of the Present Era’ is a journal article by Disha Khanna and Ankush Sachdeva. The article mostly highlights legal issues surrounding battered woman syndrome in the modern era. The article discusses how survivors of battered woman syndrome live independently in the community. Presently, legal and non-governmental agencies have taken up the responsibility of counselling and assisting victims of domestic abuse. The article also focuses on how domestic violence can be stopped by encouraging victims to report cases of abuse and abandon abusive relationships. This article is relevant to the research paper because currently, as opposed to earlier, victims of domestic abuse are more open to reporting cases of abuse. Earlier, victims of abuse were reluctant to report instances of abuse or even abandon abusive relationships. Therefore, this article is relevant because it is focused on stopping domestic violence by encouraging victims to report cases of abuse.
Battered woman syndrome
Battered woman syndrome is a psychological condition that results from domestic abuse from an intimate partner. In line with Khanna et al. (2015), even when a woman strikes back and engages in mutual violence, it is usually the woman herself who is more likely to be hurt, both physically and emotionally. Therefore, women are the biggest victims of domestic abuse. Abuse from an intimate partner can take place in various forms. Emotional and psychological abuse is the most subtle form of abuse because it aims at controlling the person using the mind. Abuse can also take the form of physical abuse, which involves physical violence.
There are four psychological stages of battered woman syndrome (Khanna et al., 2016). The first stage is denial, where the woman refuses to believe that she is in an abusive relationship. Some women entitle such instances of abuse as “accidents” thinking that the violence was non-intended. The second stage is guilt. In this stage, the woman believes that she deserves the abuse because of her shortcomings. The third stage is enlightenment, where the woman now sees the reality of the abusive relationship. However, the woman does not abandon the relationship in the hope that the abuse will eventually stop. The fourth and final stage is the responsibility stage. It is during this stage that the woman accepts the fact that the violence will not cease and she decides to leave the relationship. Sadly, most women are stuck at the enlightenment stage. The women at this stage fear that their abuser is powerful, and even when they leave the relationship, the abuser will still have power over them.
Treatment of battered woman syndrome takes place in the form of therapy. In line with Walker (2016), a battered woman syndrome is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder, and its treatment includes a combination of feminist and trauma therapy. The most crucial step to ensure the success of the treatment is to ensure the woman reaches the responsible stage. The responsibility stage enables the woman to accept the fact that she is an abusive relationship. Acceptance is a vital step toward recovery. Trauma therapy helps the woman to understand that she is not insane but only experiencing a treatable psychological disorder. Trauma therapy also helps the woman gain clarity over the issue at hand, making her more open to treatment.
In addition to therapy, legal action may contribute to a sense of empowerment in the woman (Walker, 2016). The woman can use domestic violence filed reports to get a restraining order against the abuser. Legal actions make the woman feel powerful, which contributes positively to treatment.
According to Walker (2016), The Federal Violence Against Women Act (US Congress, 2005) provides numerous legal remedies, including declaring abuse as a violation of a woman’s human rights with subsequent opportunity for a federal lawsuit under the civil rights statutes. Therefore, women should not be afraid to report cases of abuse because the law criminalizes domestic violence. One way of stopping violence is by punishing abusers in criminal statutes. When abusers are penalized as per the law, the cases of domestic abuse decline and women are more confident to report abuse cases. In line with Khaan (2015), women should not fear to abandon abusive relationships since the law has made it easier for abuse victims to get restraining orders against abusers. Thus, the criminalization of domestic abuse has played a vital role in reducing the rate of battered women syndrome.
In conclusion, a couple should exist in harmony without cases of physical, emotional or psychological abuse. Most victims of battered women syndrome require psychotherapy to help them gain normalcy in their lives. Since women are the biggest victims of domestic violence, they should be empowered to report cases of abuse.
References
Khanna, D., & Sachdeva, A. (2015). Battered woman syndrome: its repercussions and implications on women of the present era. International journal of clinical and experimental medical sciences, 1(2), 7-10.
Walker, L. (2009). Battered woman syndrome: Key elements of a diagnosis and treatment plan. Psychiatric Times, 26(7).