When the police officer arrives on the battered woman's doorstep, she wants the abuse to stop. At the same time, she might not want her husband or boyfriend taken to jail. Often, the guy that hit her is the guy that's bringing home the paycheck. He's the father of her children. So, from the relational point of view, to treat him as if he is a stranger-offender doesn't make sense.
Many people mistakenly believe that battered women never leave their situations.
Ferraro says battered women do leave their batterers. Leaving is a coping strategy that a battered woman uses to create a safe environment for herself and her children. But she usually goes back when a specific episode of violence has ended. The criminal justice system cannot end violence. The intimate relationship between a battered woman and her husband or boyfriend is not solely based on violence.