Battering is a pattern. Once it begins, it usually gets worse and more frequent over a period of time. They may blame themselves. or their victim. What follows is the honeymoon, the abuser showers the victim with gifts and attention, promising it will never happen again. However, the cycle continues and the violence often gets worse.
Many people blame the victim of battering for the crime, often without realizing it.
They expect the woman to stop the violence, and repeatedly analyze her motivations for not leaving, rather than scrutinizing why the batterer keeps beating her and why the community allows it. They usually deal with the problem by temporarily separating the couple, leaving the woman vulnerable to further violence. Some priests, clergy, and rabbis have been extremely supportive of battered women. Others ignore the abuse, are unsupportive, or actively support the assailant's control of his partner. Battered women who consider leaving their assailants are faced with the very real possibility of severe physical injury or even death.