Many women stay to preserve the family . They see their role in maintaining the family as a wife, mother, and homemaker. Leaving the situation is an admission of failure for them. They also face a real possibility of losing custody of the children . Even if they leave, in many states, judges are not required to consider proof of domestic violence in custody disputes.
Many women are financially dependent on their partners.
In one survey, more than 50 percent of battered women stayed with their batterer because they did not feel they could support themselves and their children. In addition to financial dependency, many women are emotionally dependent on their partners. Often, they do not have the self-assurance or practical skills necessary to live apart from their partners. They learn helplessness, lack of self-esteem, and feel that they deserve abuse. They have conflicting feelings of love, loyalty, guilt, and fear of being alone.