Over the next eight weeks I’m going to discuss abused women and answer the question, ‘Why would she stay?’
I’d like to tell you that I’m asking the wrong question. ‘Why would she stay?’ should be any of the following: why does he abuse her, why is this allowed to happen when it’s a crime, how can we help her leave? There are many questions that can be asked instead of putting the burden on the abused woman.
I feel that ending domestic violence requires community education and a change in people’s mindsets. If we can start to look at this issue from a different perspective, we can figure out a way to help the battered and abused woman instead just wondering why she doesn’t leave. Abused women can find help and leave their abusers, but it often takes help from family, friends, and the community.
Women don’t want to be degraded, put down, and/or physically injured, but once in that situation, it can be difficult to leave right away. There are many social, financial, psychological, and institutional reasons that influence how long a woman stays in an abusive relationship.
I’ll discuss several of these factors over the next eight weeks.
Remember, if we can help just one person suffering from domestic abuse, we’ve done our job. Have a great week!
Katelin Maloney