Massachusetts men who have murdered their wives in recent years have included a business school student, a police officer, and a computer engineer. According to police reports, men who killed their partners in 1984 ranged in age from 26-36. Wifebeating was a husband's right in Western legal history. Women were considered their husband's property under the law. While wifebeating is now illegal, the attitudes which perpetuate it carry on, most notably male dominance in the family.
Many men feel they have a right to exert power and control over the women in their lives.
Battering is a crime. The privacy traditionally granted to batterers encourages their behavior and further endangers the victim. The women's movement can be credited with confronting social acceptance of wifebeating. Major institutions such as the U.S. Department of Justice and the International Police Chief's Association are calling for new policies which hold batterers accountable for criminal behavior. Many women do.