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Tragedy of Domestic Violence

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The Tragedy of Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence towards women is a problem that is often overlooked by Society. Violence is defined by the Riverside Webster's Dictionary as: 1. Physical force employed so as to damage or injure. 2. As an instance of violent action. If this is the case than why is it that so many women are beaten by loved ones each year and little or nothing is done to correct this violent and hostile situation?

A battered woman is pictured by most people as a small, fragile, person who might once have been pretty. She has several small children, no job skills, and is economically dependent on her husband. It is frequently assumed that she is poor and from a minority group. Although some battered women do fit this description, research proves it to be a false stereotype. In fact most battered women have highly lucrative jobs such as doctors or lawyers, Corporation executives and nurses. Most are heavy set women whose assets are controlled by their husbands and cannot defend themselves physically. Battered women are found in all racial, religious and ethical backgrounds as well as age groups and educational levels.

Why do battered women stay with their significant others? The answer has many different angles; some stay for financial reasons others for the traditional reasons. The fact is that they stay, but when is enough? A woman from Maryland described her experience by saying, "Being beaten up is the most degrading, humiliating, crushing kind of thing that could happen to a person." In most cases the women feel that they are the ones to blame for their battering and also apologize for being beaten. A women's decision to stay or go to seek help or suffer in silence is often determined by the frequency of her beatings.

When women do come to the end of the line and have finally worked up enough courage to do it, to leave the

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