They're the real victims, targets of an overzealous judge, or an emotionally unbalanced partner. Most batterers need to be in control, experts say. There are a couple of schools of thought. Some believe abusers act in the cold, calculated belief that, as men, they are entitled to dominate their women. Whatever the cause, the challenge is changing the attitude of the batterer.
Many professionals think batterers themselves hold the key to that change.
Some are as young as 19 and 20. But it sure was part of society. That term dates to medieval times, when a man was legally allowed to beat his wife, provided he used a stick no larger in diameter than his thumb. Changing that embedded thinking takes a revolution, both legal and cultural. The legal revolution started two decades ago.