It's something they hold tight to. People tend to settle into routines and patterns, which we are reluctant to sever. In many cases, abused men are the type who were reared to never strike a woman, even in self-defence. I believe many men raised in the '50s and '60s had that drilled into them. Many men also remain in an abusive situation to be near their children, and to protect them.
Some husbands become the target of abuse when they try to protect their kids.
She has serious problems, yet won't acknowledge them. With her short fuse, I worry about our son. Her temper is a time bomb. Debbie De Gale, a social worker with The Elizabeth Fry Society in Winnipeg, has established a program called Women For Change. It provides counselling for women who abuse their partners.