Victims of abuse may be any age, race, religion, education level, sexual orientation, occupation, any economic or social status, single, married, even pregnant women. Men continue to batter because our society has said that they can and should control women. Violence works for the abuser. It is effective in establishing his power and control and getting what he wants. The lack of immediate consequences for violent behavior in domestic violence situations is a further message that our society accepts, expects, and supports violent behavior.
Abusive behavior is learned.
It is a crime. More than 2 million women are battered each year. Over 2800 homicides occur each year among family members. In the United States, a woman is assaulted by her partner every 15 seconds. One million people do not go to work every day due to domestic violence.