phase in hopes that the batterer will revert to the person with whom she initially fell in love. Women remain hopeful that the abuse will just end. Other factors need consideration when asking why women stay in abusive relationships. The frequency of violent episodes determines the likelihood of women continuing the relationship. For instance the less severe and less frequent the violence, the more likely the woman is to stay. Another factor to consider is the way women view the role of men and women in family relationships. Women that hold more traditional values such as for better or worse are more likely to stay in abusive relationships (Websdale, 1998). These values set the stage for women to feel that if they leave the children are deprived of a father (Websdale, 1998). The most compelling reason why battered women stay is she fears that if she attempts to leave the violence will escalate. Unfortunately this fear is all too real. Women have been beaten beyond recognition and even murdered as a result of trying to escape violence. Considering all the factors presented women continue to develop coping mechanism that tend to minimize the abuse. Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System The battering of women is not just an individual or family problem, but a social problem rooted in the devaluation of women in general. Women’s movement groups began focusing attention toward the criminal justice system as a possible solution to this problem. The criminal justice system appears to be a logical resource for abused victims, however this system occasionally re-victimizes. The re-victimization on victims of domestic violence begins with the police and filters into the criminal justice system. Police rarely made arrest at the scene of domestic disputes until the passing of pro-arrest and mandatory arrest laws in 1984 (Websdale, 1998). Women movement groups continue to argue that despite the mandatory arrest law...
