battered woman syndrome
Domestic violence psychology
Battered woman syndrome describes psychological patterns in women subjected to repeated domestic abuse.
The cycle of violence, alternating with periods of remorse and reconciliation, can create learned helplessness and emotional dependency that makes leaving difficult.
The term appears in legal contexts to explain why abuse victims stay with or defend their abusers, or why they may eventually respond with violence themselves.
- self-defenseProtecting oneself from harm
- self-defense claimAssertion force was protective
- murder trialCourt proceeding for killing
- victimOne harmed by another
- post-traumatic stress disorderLasting distress from trauma
abuse · protective order · psychological trauma · learned helplessness · domestic violence · cycle of violence · power and control · intimate partner violence · reasonable force · imminent threat · fear for life · justifiable homicide · diminished capacity · mitigating circumstances · spousal abuse · emotional abuse · advocacy groups · survivor support
- legal defensesself-defense, alibi, affirmative defense, insanity defense, insanity
- self-defenseself-defense, martial arts, self-protection, karate, pepper spray
battered woman syndromebatterer
One who beats others
domestic abuser · victimizer · coercive control · domination
battered woman syndromeempowerment
Gaining authority or confidence
self-efficacy · self-determination · agency · liberation · secure attachment
batter, battering, battered, batters, womanly, womanhood, syndrome, syndromes