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Battered Person Syndrome

Battered woman syndrome has been recognized as a severe psychological condition since it was first described in the 1970s. It is often considered to be a form of post traumatic stress disorder. Women who are subjected to repetitive and acute physical violence, sexual assault, and psychological abuse by their intimate partner may develop battered woman syndrome. A battered woman will often display specific temporary psychological characteristics. It has been observed that the symptoms that a battered woman will exhibit unravel in a predictable pattern.

First a victim will experience denial. When the victim acknowledges that there is something wrong in their relationship, they will experience a period of guilt and shame. Soon, a battered woman will recognize that the abuse is the fault of her partner and she will understand the necessity of escaping her abusive relationship. By this point, it is common for a battered woman to feel as if there is no possible way to safely escape their current situation. These symptoms unravel as the cycle of abuse progresses and increases in severity. It may begin with covert psychological abuse. The offender may manipulate, coerce, and isolate the victim. The emotional abuse will soon give way to physical violence.

This brutality will become more severe over time. Soon, a battered woman may be experiencing frequent and severe beatings. By this point, an individual who is suffering from battered woman syndrome may have developed extremely low self esteem and bitter depression. They may have lost contact with all of their friends and family because of the behavior of their abuser. Often, perpetrators will isolate their victims in order to ensure that they no longer have a way to escape their situation. This will make it very difficult for a battered woman to leave her environment. Battered woman syndrome may cause a victim of domestic violence to resort to extreme behavior in order to protect herself.

Once a victim of battered woman syndrome understands the consequences of remaining in her abusive relationship she will begin to consider how to escape it. However, by the time a battered woman recognizes the necessity of leaving her environment; she has been brutalized and abused so many times. She is very familiar with the pain and the agony of physical beatings. Often, her abuser has threatened to inflict more severe violence and even death if she tries to escape.

The offender may have also threatened the lives of her children. An individual who is suffering from battered woman syndrome will be convinced that there is no way of escaping her abuser. If she leaves he will find her. She will firmly believe that there is no where that she can turn for help and support. Therefore, many women who have developed this psychological condition attempt to eliminate the threat by murdering the perpetrator. The victim may try to attack the offender when they are most vulnerable.

For example, in July 2009, Amanda Carina Barbosa Rodriguesi stood trial for the murder of her husband, famous Canadian boxer Arturo Gatti. Lawyers claimed that her only defense was that she was suffering from battered woman syndrome due to the physical abuse that her husband was subjecting her to. This condition is often utilized as a legal defense in cases in which abused women kill their partner.

Domestic violence has severe and adverse effects on a victims psychological and mental health. Women who are suffering from physical brutality are often desperate for a way out and may resort to extreme behavior in order to escape.

A History of Battered Person Syndrome

In the 1970s, clinical psychologist Dr.
Lenore Walker observed, described, and published information about the battered
woman syndrome. She sought to develop a theory that would explain
domestic violence and why intimate partner abuse often reoccurred. Dr. Walker
developed the battered woman syndrome after spending a great deal of time
counseling and treating victims of domestic violence.

She noticed that
individuals who were subjected to intimate partner abuse often experienced
victimization repeatedly. Despite this, many women did not try to escape their
harmful environment or leave their abusive partner. Victims often remained in
harmful relationships despite the violence and the brutality that they were
suffering from.

The battered woman syndrome provided explanations for why a
victim remained in these detrimental environments. It also addressed questions
regarding the victim’s failure to report abuse and seek help from friends and
family members. A few years after it’s conception, Dr. Walker started providing
expert testimony regarding the battered woman syndrome.

Once the public became aware of the battered woman syndrome that was described
by Dr. Lenore Walker, many women employed this condition as a legal defense for
killing their abusive husbands. Dr. Walker often acted as an expert witness for
women who were standing trial for murdering their violent and aggressive
partners. Dr. Walker utilized the causes and effects of the battered woman
syndrome in order to convince courts that these women’s actions were justified.

The use of the battered woman syndrome as a sufficient legal defense became
extremely controversial because many people did not feel that the effects of
this psychological condition were serious enough to legitimize murder. In many
cases, in order for the battered woman syndrome to be effective in a courtroom,
the defense attorney will be required to affirm that the victim was acting in
self defense. They will therefore need to prove that the victim was being
exposed to present provocation, that they were in unavoidable danger, and that
they countered their attacker with an equal amount of force.

When congress
passes the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, the validity of the battered
woman syndrome was investigated. Based on the findings, congress discounted
this condition as a substantial legal defense. Despite congress’s position on the
battered woman syndrome, this psychological condition is often cited as a
defense. In 2002, California passed a new law that permitted the women who were
convicted of murdering their abusive husband before 1992 to seek a sentence
reversal.

Since the passage of this law, over one hundred victims of abuse who
have been incarcerated for the murder of their abuser have been released. The
first of these women to be released was Marva Wallace, who served
seventeen years in prison for murdering her violent and abusive husband.
Although, the effectiveness of using the battered woman syndrome as a legal
defense will vary a great deal from state to state and from cases to case.
However, since its discovery, this psychological condition has helped people to
understand the mentality and the state of mind of women who have suffered from
domestic violence.