Why is it so difficult for a battered woman to leave?

There are several factors that contribute to the creation of an invisible chain. Each factor has a different impact on each woman.

Violence destroys self-esteem

When there is physical violence (even a single episode), she is placed on a terrain that is already filled with criticism, emotional abuse, humiliation, slander, etc. She is already in a state that has sapped her energy and self-confidence.

loneliness

The woman is often alone. When we say "alone" we do not mean locked up in the house, but we mean that the abuser has severely affected the woman's climate, relationship, and trust in her social or family circle, perhaps at an unexpected time.

Jealousy, confrontations, slander, criticism, and incitement from the abuser have created a void around the woman.

Not all abuse is physical.

In addition to physical violence, it can be difficult to recognize that you are a victim of other forms of violence. For example, economic and psychological violence are among the most difficult to notice because they are often carried out through hidden manipulations.

Hope it's just a difficult moment

Since violence often follows a "before" period that was characterized by a different regime (let's just call it a happy period), the woman often, at least at some stage, hopes or expects that everything will return to the way it was before. Unfortunately, she lives with the hope of a change, holding as a reference a moment when it seemed different. This hope is fed by cycles of violence, where periods of violence can be followed by periods of apparent peace.

Lack of risk perception

The woman may not have a perception of danger, or even when the perception of danger and the alarm arrive, they are systematically ignored. After years of criticism from the abusive husband, the woman lives in a state of insecurity and distrust of her thoughts and emotions, or she may develop a real emotional fog that causes her confusion and insecurity.

Fear

The woman is often guided, at least in an initial stage, by the fear that breaking up with the relationship will worsen her situation instead of improving it.

She may fear that she will not be able to survive on her own or that the separation could negatively affect the children.