No one likes or wants to be abused. There are many reasons why a woman does not or cannot leave an abusive relationship.
These might include:
- Women are very often afraid to leave and with very good reason. The chance of getting seriously hurt or killed increase dramatically in the first two years after leaving an abusive relationship.
- Many women cannot afford to leave, especially if they have children and are economically dependent on their husbands or partners as part of his control or status.
- After being subjected to physical and emotional abuse over time, women can be systematically stripped of their self-esteem and may believe that they are unable to survive alone.
- Many women stay in abusive relationships because they have nowhere to go – the current housing crisis forces many women to stay in abusive relationships for a lot longer than they would like to.
- Some women do not want to leave their husbands/partners – they love them, they are afraid of them and they simply want the violence to stop.
There are many reasons why women stay in abusive relationships but none of them includes ‘liking’ the abuse.
Perhaps instead of focusing on why she doesn’t leave we should ask the question, ‘Why does he do it and get away with it?’
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or is affected by any of the issues mentioned above phone COPE Galway Domestic Abuse Service at 091 565 985 (24 hours)
