Battered women analyze the risks to themselves and their children
on an ongoing basis. One day a woman may believe that her greatest risk is losing
her home; the next day she may believe her greatest risk is that she will be killed.
For some battered women, the decision to leave will increase the severity and
number of risks they may face. For others, leaving will lessen the risks.
The
following figure was developed to compare some of the risks that women may face
in their relationships and to explore what effect staying in or leaving these
relationships may have on those risks. Some women may face a few of these risks,
whereas other women may experience most or all of these risks. The following figure
summarizes the two key points of this chapter. First, battered womens risk
analyses include a consideration of more risks than physical violence. Second,
womens lives are not necessarily made better or safer by leaving the relationship.
That is not to say that women should stay in violent relationships, but rather
to acknowledge the reality that the options and choices available to women who
want to leave are limited or nonexistent.
Possible
Risks if She Stays in the Relationship
Possible Risks if She Leaves
the Relationship
Physical
Physical
injury: He can continue to hit her and injure her
Physical injury: He
may continue to hit and injure her. Some studies have shown he may be more likely
to hurt her after she has left.
Death: He may kill her.
Death:
Threats can often surface when a woman explores leaving or tries to leave, If
I cant have you then nobody will. Leaving does not ensure that
he will not find her and may increase the chance she will be killed.
HIV:
Through unsafe behavior with her partner, she may have no choice regarding sex,
including whether to practice safer sex; he may sexually assault her.
HIV:
Unsafe behavior with her partner may continue; he may sexually assault her
Much
advocacy ends at this point on the list of risks that women with violent partners
face. The risks that follow are acknowledged, and advocates do try to respons
to these concerns. The primary resources, options, and services are designed to
address physical risks, however.
Psychological
Psychological harm: His use of violence to keep control
will continue to affect her and he can continue to attack her verbally and emotionally.
Psychological harm: He may continue to have access to her, particularly
if they have children in common and there is ongoing contact due to court-ordered
visitation.
Substance abuse: She may abuse drugs and/or alcohol
to help her cope with the emotional and physical pain.
Substance abuse:
Even if she leaves, she will take an addiction with her; she may abuse drugs and/or
alcohol to cope with her new life situation.
Long-term effects:
She may experience long-term psychological issues.
Long-term effects:
She may experience long-term psychological issues.
Suicide (victim,
partner): He could commit murder/suicide; she may commit suicide as a result of
the psychological effects of his violence or her desire to take control of a death
she may believe is inevitable.
Suicide (victim, partner): He could commit
murder/suicide; she may commit suicide as a result of the psychological effects
of his violence or her desire to take control of a death she may believe is inevitable.
Relationship
Loss
of partner or relationship: He could leave her or be unavailable emotionally.
Loss
of partner or relationship: Leaving means the loss of her partner and significant
change to the relationship
Loss of caretaker: If she is disabled
and he is her caretaker, he may not adequately care for her.
Loss of caretaker:
If she is disabled and he is her caretaker, he will no longer be there to help.
Children
Physical
injury or psychological harm to children: Children can witness violence, be the
object of physical violence or psychological attack, or be hurt while trying to
protect their mother.
Physical injury or psychological harm to children:
Children can witness violence, be the object of physical violence or psychological
attack, or be hurt while trying to protect their mother, may be at a greater risk
while on visitation without parent-victim present; no visitation may also harm
the child.
Loss of children: Child protective services could
become involved if violence is disclosed, failure to protect-type
arguments could be used to place children in foster care or proceed on termination
of parental rights case.
Loss of children: He could legally gain custody
or just take the children; child protective services could still be involved or
become involved.
Being alone, single parenting: He could be emotionally
unavailable; he could do little to help with the children.
Being alone,
single parenting: He is unavailable, and she may not be able (or want) to find
someone new; he may not visit or help raise the children; it may not be
safe for the children or her to have him do so.
Financial
Standard
of living: He may control the money and give her little money to live on; he could
lose or quit his job; he could make her lose or quit her job
Standard
of living: She may now live solely on her income; she may have to move out of
her home, neighborhood; she may have less money; he could make her lose her job.
Loss
of income/job: He could keep her from working, limit how much she works; he may
sabotage her efforts to find a job, succeed at a job, or pursue job training.
Loss
of income/job: She could lose his income, have to quit a job to relocate, have
to quit if she has become a single parent; he could keep her from working by harassment,
threats.
Loss of housing: She could be evicted due to disturbance
or damage he has done.
Loss of housing: She may need to move out to leave
the relationship or go into hiding for safety; she could lose her residence as
part of a divorce.
Loss or damage to posessions: He may destroy
things of importance or value to her to further his control.
Loss or damage
to posessions: He may destroy things of importance or value to her to further
his control; she may have to leave things behind when she leaves; he may win the
right to possessions in a divorce proceeding.
Family
and Friends
Threat or injury to family or friends:
Family and friends may be at risk, particularly if they try to intervene.
Threat
or injury to family or friends: Family and friends may be at risk, particularly
if they try to intervene, protect the woman, provide her with housing; threat
can be used to keep a woman from going into hiding: If I dont know
where you are Ill get your family.
Loss of family
or friends support: They may want her to leave and stop supporting her if
she stays; they may not like him or may be afriad of him; he may keep her isolated
from them.
Loss of family or friends support: They may not want
her to leave him; they may blame her for the end of the relationship.
Arrest,
Legal Status
Her arrest: He could threaten to turn
her in or turn her in if she has participated in criminal activity; he may threaten
this to keep her from leaving; he may force her to participate in criminal activity;
she may defend herself against him and be charged with a crime. Arrest could lead
to incarceration, loss of job, loss of children, public embarrassment, etc.
Her
arrest: He could threaten to turn her in or turn her in if she has participated
in criminal activity; she may defend herself against him and be charged with a
crime. Arrest could lead to incarceration, loss of job, loss of children, public
embarrassment, etc.
Partners arrest: He might be arrested
leading to his retaliation, the loss of his job, public embarrassment for her
and her family.
Partners arrest: He might be arrested leading to
his retaliation, the loss of his job, public embarrassment for her and her family.
Loss
of residency status: He could carry out that threat.
Loss of residency
status: He could carry out that threat.
- Davies, J., PhD., & Lyon, E., MA. (2001). Safety Planning With Battered Women. SAGE Publications: London.
Update
Safety Planning With Marginalized Survivors
of Intimate Partner Violence: Challenges
of Conducting Safety Planning Intervention
Research With Marginalized Women
- Sabri, B., Tharmarajah, S., Njie-Carr, V. P. S., Messing, J. T., Loerzel, E., Arscott, J., & Campbell, J. C. (2022). Safety Planning With Marginalized Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: Challenges of Conducting Safety Planning Intervention Research With Marginalized Women. Trauma, violence & abuse, 23(5), 1728–1751.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Article References:
Levandowski, B. A., Cass, C. M., Miller, S. N., Kemp, J. E., & Conner, K. R. (2017). An intervention with meaning: Perceptions of safety planning among Veteran Health Administration providers. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 38(6), 376–383.
Tsvieli, N., & Diamond, G. M. (2018). Therapist interventions and emotional processing in attachment-based family therapy for unresolved anger. Psychotherapy, 55(3), 289–297.
VanMeter, F., Nivison, M. D., Englund, M. M., Carlson, E. A., & Roisman, G. I. (2021). Childhood abuse and neglect and self-reported symptoms of psychopathology through midlife. Developmental Psychology, 57(5), 824–836.
Zonana, J., Simberlund, J., & Christos, P. (2018). The impact of safety plans in an outpatient clinic. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 39(4), 304–309.
QUESTION 15
What can increase the severity and number of risks a battered woman
faces? Record the letter of the correct answer the Test.