battered spouse
Domestic violence survivor
A battered spouse is a husband or wife who has been physically abused by their partner, typically repeatedly over time.
The term emerged with growing awareness of domestic violence in the 1970s and appears in legal and social services contexts: shelters for battered spouses, battered spouse syndrome.
Though spouse implies marriage, the term extends to unmarried partners in abusive relationships.
- abuseCruel or violent treatment
- domestic violenceAbuse between household members
- victimOne harmed by another
- bruisesDiscolored skin from impact
- power and controlAuthority plus management capability
shelter · restraining order · domestic · violence · trauma · fear · walk on eggshells · escape · safe house · women's shelter · survivor · helpline · hidden · cycle · cycle of abuse · control · isolation · broken
- domestic abusedomestic violence, batterer, wife beating, intimate partner violence, coercive control
- legal defensesself-defense, alibi, affirmative defense, insanity defense, insanity
battered spouseabuser
One who mistreats others
batterer · domestic abuser · perpetrator · aggressor · wife beater
batter, battered, battering, batters, spouse, spouses, spousal