A recent study in Korea showed that 61 percent of married women reported some form of physical abuse during their marriage. These marriages included rich and poor, wives of laborers and professors, wives of ministers and the unemployed. For some women, the violence is well known by their families and friends. For others, nobody they know even suspects that there is violence in their family. Many women stay in domestic violence relationships hoping that the situation will change, pressured by family and community to stay in a violent relationship or staying for the sake of the children.
Many people still believe that domestic violence is an unfortunate but normal part of relationships.
Others believe that it is the fault of women who nag their husbands or who somehow deserve the abuse. Unfortunately, domestic violence is a situation which is difficult to change unless the person who is abusive takes full responsibility for making a change. She senses impending violence and may try to avoid situations which will provoke it. But for many women, the violent act is unavoidable. She may even try to provoke a violent incident since she knows that it is simply a matter of time before the abusive person will explode.