About DV
Myth: Victims of domestic violence like to be beaten
Evidence does not support this theory. Victims of domestic violence desperately want the abuse to end, and engage in
various survival strategies, including calling the police or seeking help from family members, to protect themselves
and their children. In some cases, silence may be a survival strategy.
“Victims of domestic violence have psychological disorders"
This characterization of battered women as mentally ill stems from the assumption that victims of domestic violence
must be sick or they would not "take" the abuse. More recent theories demonstrate that battered women resist abuse
in a variety of ways. In addition, most victims of domestic violence are not mentally ill, although individuals with
mental disabilities are certainly not immune from being abused by their spouses or intimate partners. Some victims
of domestic violence suffer psychological effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, as a result
of being abused.
“Children are not affected when one parent abuses the other"
Studies show that in 50-70% of cases in which a parent abuses another parent, the children are also physically
abused. Children also suffer emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and developmental impairments as a result of
witnessing domestic violence in the home. In addition, some children (especially boys) who experience domestic
violence in their homes grow up to repeat the same behavioral patterns.
Myth: Low self-esteem causes victims to get involved in abusive relationships
Some assume that individuals with adequate self-esteem would not “allow" themselves to be abused by intimate partners
or spouses.
But studies demonstrate that victims of domestic violence fail to share common characteristics other
than being female. However, some victims experience a decrease in self-esteem as a result of being abused.
Myth: Batterers abuse their partners because of alcohol or drug abuse
Substance abuse does not cause perpetrators of domestic violence to abuse their partners, although it is frequently used as an excuse. Substance abuse may increase the frequency or severity of violent episodes, but domestic violence is caused by a desire to exert power and control over an intimate partner, not drugs or alcohol.
Myth: Batterers abuse their partners because they are under a lot of stress or unemployment
Stress does not cause batterers to abuse their partners. If stress caused domestic violence, batterers would assault their bosses or co-workers rather than their intimate partners. Domestic violence flourishes because society condones partner abuse, and because perpetrators learn that they can achieve what they want through the use of force without facing serious consequences.
Myth: Domestic violence is irrelevant to parental fitness
Because children often suffer physical and emotional harm from living in violent homes, domestic violence is
extremely related to parental fitness. More than half of children whose mothers are battered are likely to be abused
themselves, and children are frequently used as pawns to control the parental victim. An abuser’s focus on
controlling the victim undermines the abusers ability to parent because the primary concern is not the child. Courts
in most states are now required to consider domestic violence in custody determinations, recognizing the
victimization of one parent and the danger of the abusing parent.
Source: American Bar Association
