Domestic Violence

Society in general holds certain attitudes about women and their proper roles. Some of these attitudes and stereotypes work in favor of abusers and against the women who are their victims. The following list describes some of the negative social attitudes and practices, as well as the abuser's actions that are supported by the stereotypes about women:

Negative Social Attitudes

• Rigid stereotypes and roles for men and women
  
  
• Women trained, by custom and sometimes by law, to be dependent on men
  
  
• The Cinderella-and-Prince-Charming myth
  
  
• Barriers to women in employment, government, leadership
  
  
• The view that men ought to control money, jobs, all the family's major decisions
  
  
• The family as an institution discourages any member from leaving or divorce
  
  
• Police, doctors, schools, other institutions in society don't always respond quickly to clues of abuse
  
  
• Crime, poverty, and other factors make women fearful of living alone
  
  
• Tendency to over prescribe drugs for women who are abused
  
  
• The view that a woman's role is to take care of the family, and therefore any family troubles are the fault of the woman and are her responsibility to "fix"
  
  
• Family, friends tell the victim to try harder to be a better wife or partner
  
  
• Faith community expectations that a wife keep her marriage vows "for better or for worse"
  
  
• The view that children always suffer from divorce and keeping the family together is imperative
  
  

     

24 hour hotline: (503) 399-7722 or toll free in Oregon 1 (866) 399-7722
May 2007 © Mid-Valley Women's Crisis Service