But that hit isn't going to put fear into him, or force him to do something he doesn't want to. She's fearful of the power he holds over her. The exception is when the woman hits the man, not the rule. The issue in some domestic cases is the man is the victim, but we know 95 percent of the victims are women. But, it's totally unacceptable to tell racial jokes or use racial slurs.
Experts agree there are many domestic battery incidents that go unreported.
Usually, even after a report has been made and a trial date set, victims don't show up to testify and the charges are dismissed. Now that there are mandatory arrests, and there are resources such as Family Crisis to help, those helpless feelings have gone away. Pentico said the blame of not stopping the abuse is often shifted to the victim. The woman doesn't have any tools to do that, except for the law. She has the judge and law enforcement.