Some spoke of being seriously abused in adult male-female relationships as well. Others described the violent, abusive relationships of one or more sisters. Despite their histories, Weis said not one of the respondents reported any violence in her current relationship. She cautioned, however, that this does not mean that the women are now established in placid households. For others, the very powerful unconscious defense mechanism of denial is operating.
Denial is frequent and strong in most domestic abuse cases.
Weis said the results were especially surprising because the subjects in the study were not selected because the researchers believed them to be the worst off in their communities. She said that they found that the 31 black women respondents were much more open about the violence they saw and experienced. Weis speculated that such secretiveness serves to protect the popular image of family life in the white community.