When I read about all of the abuse among relationships, I always ask my self what is the reason for this crime. It is believed that both men and women are equally violent but women are more likely to report the crime than men because most of the time, men are ashamed of being battered by a female. Domestic violence is a crime and there is no excuse for this to take place. There are many thoughts on to why this occurs. It is said to be intergenerational. There is evidence that it may pass from parents to kids. Boys who witness their mother's abuse are more likely to batter their female partners as adults than boys who were raised in nonviolent homes (Healey 1995). However not all abusers grew up in a violent environment. Othe

A cycle occurs in domestic violence. When the couple meets and a short time after, they are in the honeymoon phase when everything seems to be going great and there seems to be no major problems occurring. After a while the tension phase begins to appear, the relationship may appear to be a little strained and a lot more verbal fights may occur. Finally the abusive phase occurs. Within this phase many types of abuse can occur including being ignored, insulted, being locked out of the house and being pushed. After a short period, the honeymoon phase is back when the assailant apologizes to the victim saying "this will never happen again." In time the honeymoon phase will get shorter and in the third stage the abuse will be longer and more harming to the victim, which includes, threats, being raped, manipulation and murder. Any of these examples may occur at any time and in any order of the cycle of violence. Many times this kind of abuse occurs when the woman is pregnant. One in six pregnant women will be abused (McFarlane). Multiple perpetrators tended to be reported by teenagers, who cited both boyfriend and parent as abusive. The abuse may not only be physical. The man can manipulate the women and the woman may lack prenatal care. The man has control over the women preventing her from doing things that are best for her and the baby. This cycle continues because the victim honestly feels that the perpetrator will stop as long as they can work through the problem. The question is how are they going to work though the problem?

We as a society need to address domestic violence as a public problem. Although it may not be happening to us, it may be happening to someone we know. The government needs to set up federally funded programs that will help these families in need. These programs would include a place for these victims to go, protection with the help of the law, and help for the victim to get back on his or her feet. Women in abusive relationships can bind emotionally to the abuser as a survival tool. The bonding "improves one's chances of surviving" (Lincoln Journal Star 1991). After living through an ordeal like this, the victims must be suffering under some psychological trauma. These programs will offer some type of counselin

Some common words found in the essay are:
McFarlane Multiple, , Journal Star, United Commission, domestic violence, honeymoon phase, healey 1995, cycle violence, professional help, battered women's, battered women, abuse occurs, nicarthy 1987, sheets 1991,
Approximate Word count = 1533
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)