Every 9 seconds a woman is battered in the US!

It sure is hard to understand but I think part of it is a battered woman comes to really believe she somehow "asked" for it, that it's her fault she's being abused. Her self-esteem gets so low she doesn't think she has the right to fight back! That doesn't make any sense at all to those of us who have never experienced it and I know I can't even imagine being treated like that and not fighting back big time then getting the hell out of there! Also, many women who are abused help protect their abuser by hiding the truth from others and unfortunately there have been cases where the woman finally did fight back and sometimes even killed the abuser but because she'd never told anyone the truth before she's had a hard time fighting the charges and proving self-defense. Women of all ages, listen up - YOU DON'T EVER HAVE TO TAKE THAT! For God's sake get help! Annie

"I don't understand these victims, why don't they fight back?" - Because they are VICTIMS....and if you fight back you get a double beating more often than not...Ppl need to understand that being in an abusive relationship IS NOT just about physical abuse....the abuser destroys the victim physically and mentally as well....Its a package deal...thats why they stay.. "Why don't they leave?" - Fear...fear for their lives, fear of being alone and an intense lack of self esteem....They've been broken down to a shell of a person so they dont have the confidence to leave AND they are flat out terrified for their lives and the lives of their children if there are kids involved..

Batterers are manipulators. They choose their wives and girlfriends based on a lack of self esteem. They often start slowly, by isolating the women from their friends and family, so that they have no one to turn to. Most of the time, the abuse starts verbally. The physical abuse begins slowly as well and through the verbal abuse, the woman's already crappy self esteem becomes worse, to the point that she thinks she deserves the abuse. My first husband could not isolate me from my family. I didn't cry when he attempted to verbally abuse me. I left him when he hit me. His second wife put up with it for 11 years. I was the one who convinced her to leave his sorry as$ and get her life back. You seem to be such a strong person, so it would be difficult for you to understand the mindset of a woman who is not so strong. Most of these women were raised by abusive fathers and they seek the same qualities in a mate (don't know why.) It's sad and it's tragic and the worst part is that any offspring they may have are learning the same things from their fathers.