Battered Women Syndrome
...They are usually determined by an expert like a psychologist. A syndrome some women have to face is battered woman syndrome. Battered Women Syndrome is a series of characteristics in women who are physically and psychologically abused by a dominant male in their lives. These women learn helplessness and dependency; sometimes these characteristics originate from childhood if they were abused. BWS is not considered a disease; they are hostages who look to their partner to survive because of low self esteem.
A woman must experience two cycles, before she can be labeled a "battered woman". Phase one - the tension building stage during which verbal abuse and minor battering incidents occur, but are quickly covered up. These little episodes of violence gradually increase in frequency and severity. At this stage, the woman puts a lot of energy into trying to calm the batterer down. She may try to please him to keep him from becoming more abusive or may just try to stay out of his way. In some relationships this tension building stage can go on for years. In others it lasts only days. During this part of the cycle the batterer becomes more and more threatening and she finds it more and more difficult to cope with his behavior. When the acute attack is over, it is usually followed by shock, denial and disbelief. Phase two- The Explosion, this is the most violent part of the cycle. It is also the shortest. During phase two his rage is totally out of control and she is often severely beaten before he is able to regain his composure. When the acute attack is over, it is usually followed by shock, denial and disbelief. The batterer cannot believe what he's done and the woman feels violated and hopeless. Phase three- the honeymoon phase, the batterer realizes he has gone too far. In most cases he is genuinely sorry for what he has done and believes that he will never...
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