Advocates for battered women say one of the most significant reasons women choose to stay in an abusive home is the fear of poverty. Families who are comfortable on two incomes may barely scrape by on a single income. And women who don't work are facing even grimmer prospects. In wealthy Marin County, McKenzie said she sees victims who have to choose to go on welfare with their children to escape abusive homes. In most areas, nice, affordable housing is hard to find.
Many mothers decide to suffer the abuse to provide a comfortable home for their children.
Having children may complicate a woman's decision in other ways. Many victims worry that if they leave, they may pay the price by losing custody of their children. It is an especially tangible fear among women who have histories of drug or alcohol abuse or among women who are less educated and less financially independent than their partners. Sylvia endured a decade of beatings and verbal abuse at the hands of her ex-husband, and put up with them in large part because she thought it would be best for her children. But one day, two years ago, when he slapped her and ripped the telephone from the wall of their south Sacramento home, she decided it was time to stop the violence.