Why Some Battered Women Sometimes Stay by Susan G. S. McGee I. This is the wrong question. A common mistake in understanding domestic violence is to scrutinize and evaluate the survivor. This practice avoids looking at the behavior and intentions of the perpetrator of the violence. It also misses the essential task of examining the ways in which our culture condones, supports and gives permission for battering. Many battered women do leave.
Shelters are usually full.
Some battered women stay only for a short period. Some battered women leave immediately after the first assault and never return. Almost all battered women try to leave at some point. For battered women who leave the violence may just be beginning. Batterers escalate their violence when a woman tries to leave, shows signs of independence or has left.