The criminal justice system must take an aggressive approach to treating domestic violence as the crime it is. The community must send the message to abusers that battering will not be tolerated and that there will be consequences for their violence. In Georgia, approximately 440,000 women are abused each year. Battering is the single largest cause of injuries requiring medical treatment for women more common than auto accidents, muggings and rape combined. Children who were raised in a home where the mother is battered are 15 times more likely to be abused than children who were raised in nonviolent homes.
Individuals condemn battering and become advocates for the victim.
Legislation becomes enacted which aids the victim. Courts and police departments impose the laws and consequences that already exist. The batterer may slam doors, break the victim's possessions or make threats. The victim tries to appease the batterer, but the tension continues to build. The couple needs separation at this point.