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Decision-Making
for Battered Women Battered women have a hard time deciding to stay or leave abusive relationships because there may be many factors involved. Violence between intimate partners is very common in our society (Straus & Gelles, 1986, as cited in Pape & Arias, 2000). Each year around 1.8 million American women are beaten by their husbands and it is an estimation of 1500 women die because of spouse abuse (Straus & Gelles, 1986, as cited in Rusbult & Martz, 1995). Both men and women can experience violence in their relationship, but it has greater physical and psychological consequences towards women (Cascardi, Longhinrichsen, & Vivian, 1992, as cited in Pape & Arias, 2000). Many battered women have to decide if they want to leave the violent relationship. This is a hard decision-making process among battered women. The decision to stay or leave does not happen in a single point of time but it is a process. It is one of the most difficult decisions a woman can make (Barnett & LaViolette, 1993, as cited in Lerner & Kennedy, 2000). Many factors affect the decision to stay or leave the relationship. Many variables such as sociodemographic factors, severe pathology, low self-esteem, or childcare can explain the reasons why they stay in the violent relationship. Many women who leave the relationship often return (Strube, 1988, as cited in Pape & Arias, 2000). Many researchers have recently been studying the perceptual and cognitive variables. Pape and Arias (2000) looked at the role of perceptions and attributions in battered women’s intentions to permanently end their violent relationships. They examined the role of attributions and emotional reactions to partner violence in the relationships between how severe and frequent it was. The study had sixty-eight participants from battered women’s shelters. Most of the women either were married or cohabited with their partners for at least a year. The Conflict Tactics Scale Form-R (CTS-R) measured how family members and partners would resolve conflict. The scales were reasoning, verbal aggression, and violence. The Relationship Attribution Measure (RAM) had the participants’ rate how strong their partner’s most recent violent behavior was. Then the participant wrote an emotional statement describing the most recent violent event. In addition, the participants rated the perceptions of change in the frequency and severity of violence. Then they asked the women the likelihood that she would leave the relationship. They found three significant findings. First, there was a correlation between partner violence and intentions to end the abusive relationship. Second, the perceptions of increased violence severity and frequency were related to attributions for partner violence and nervous reactions. Third, attributions and distressful emotional reactions were correlated with intentions to leave the partner. Many other studies looked at the cognitive variables that can effect a woman’s decision. Women who stayed with their abusers had cognitive strategies that helped view their relationships as more positive than women who left their abusers (Herbert, Silver, & Ellard, 1991, as cited in Pape & Arias, 2000). Another study found that women would more likely go back to their partner if they would engage in counseling (Gondolf, 1988, as cited in Pape & Arias, 2000). Commitment is another variable that effects a woman’s decision to leave. Rusbult and Martz (1995) made an investment model that investigated the reasons why individuals are likely to remain in an abusive relationship. The study had intake interviews with women from a battered women shelter. The investment model of commitment contains satisfaction level, commitment level, alternative quality, and investment size. Satisfaction refers to how much the individual enjoys the relationship. Commitment refers to the individual's intentions to maintain the relationship and if they were psychologically attached and want a long-term orientation with the relationship. Alternative quality is the attractiveness and if there is an availability of alternatives to a relationship. Investment size looks at the number and magnitude of resources that were attached to the relationship. The first hypothesis proposed that feelings of commitment to an abusive relationship would be associated with limited alternatives, greater investment of resources in a relationship, and greater satisfaction. The second hypothesis predicted that the stay or leave decision would be correlated with commitment level. The third hypothesis predicted that commitment would mediate the effects of alternative quality, investment size, and satisfaction level. Results revealed that hypothesis one was consistent with the findings. Commitment did have a negative correlation with limited alternatives, a positive correlation with investment size, and had a high satisfaction level with the relationship. The second hypothesis also was consistent with the results in that commitment level did effect the decision to stay or leave. The results for the third hypothesis showed that commitment partially mediated the effects on a stay/leave decision. This article was a good example that looked at the different effects that are involved in an abusive relationship. Many psychological variables affect the women’s decision to stay or leave. Many battered women experience trauma symptoms (Lerner & Kennedy, 2000). Lerner and Kennedy (2000) focused on the trauma, coping, self-efficacy, and physical violence involved in the relationship. They used two hundred women who were in a violent relationship or who had left one. Participants were separated into five relationship status groups: women in violent relationships, women out of a violent relationship for up to six months, women out of a violent relationship from six months to a year, women out of a violent relationship one to three years, women out of a violent relationship three year or more. The Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WOC) measured the behavioral, affective, and cognitive strategies employed by the participant in a stressful situation. The Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC) measured the traumatic impact that an experience can have on an individual, for example child abuse. The Confidence/Temptation Scales (CTS) measured the self-efficacy for leaving an abusive relationship. Results showed that self-efficacy, coping, and trauma symptoms depended on if the woman was in or out of the relationship and how long ago did the woman leave. This article was another example that proved how many variables that can effect a woman’s decision to leave. An article by the American Psychological Association (1998) pointed out a different view on why women stay in abusive relationships. It looked at the factors if the woman did leave a relationship. Many women believe that if they leave it would end all the violence, but the violence is not over. A larger proportion of the violence happens after she leaves. If she leaves if often increases the batterer’s need for power and control. There is evidence that many times women will be stalked by their batterers. This is when the woman often returns because of fear and loss of control. The articles each showed the many factors that do come in roll with a woman’s decision to stay or leave an abusive relationship. All women have different variables attached to their decision. As I was reading the articles, I finally realized that it could be one of the hardest decisions a woman has to make. It does take time and thinking to decide this. I am hoping that battered women know the resources that are available for them. Today there are many new programs and resources that battered women can turn to for help. There has been a big improvement in helping with the needs of battered women since the 1980’s (Lerner & Kennedy, 2000). I think it is very important to show battered women that there are battered women shelters, hot lines, counseling centers and many other places to turn to. There are also books and articles that women can read to learn how they can help themselves and escape the violence. I feel one of the most important variables that battered women should look at is self-esteem. I think low self-esteem is one of the biggest characteristics of a battered woman. I know there are many more attachments but I think that is where they should begin. A woman should learn how to think highly of herself and have her learn that she does deserve the best and that no one could control her. She does not have to be physically or psychologically abused there is a way out. References: Lerner, C. & Thomas, L. (2000). Stay-leave decision making in battered women: Trauma, coping and self-efficacy. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24, 215-232. Pape, K. & Arias, I. (2000). The role of perceptions and attributions in battered women’s intentions to permanently end their violent relationships. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24, 201-214. Rusbult, C.E. & Martz, J.M. (1995). Remaining in an abusive relationship: An investment model analysis of non-voluntary dependence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 558-571. http://www.apa.org/pi/pii/issues/issue4.html . American Psychological Association: 1998.
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