The abuse often escalates when women s intimate partners, threatened by their education, training, or work, sabotage their efforts through subversive tactics made to keep women under abusers control. For example, an abuser may keep a woman up all night before she has to take a placement test, tear up homework assignments, black her eyes before a job interview, call or visit her several times at work each day, or threaten to kidnap the children if she leaves them alone. Because many women use public assistance as a means for financial support while escaping abuse, the role of the welfare system in promoting safety and providing a safety net is crucial. Domestic Violence is a major barrier to self-sufficiency. The abusive tactics mentioned above demonstrate how difficult it will be for some women to complete work requirements and obtain and maintain employment within an already limited time period.
Tactics used by abusers are often successful.
Sleep deprivation and constant distractions at home make it almost impossible to get the skills necessary to get a job that can support a family, and few employers are willing to retain an employee who misses days from work, is late, or is being harassed at the work site. The result is that it becomes increasingly difficult to get and maintain employment. This results in a battered woman s failure to comply with welfare work requirements and to position herself to support her family when she is no longer able to receive cash benefits. In addition to taking whatever measures are necessary to protect herself and her children from the abuser, the battered woman may also need to engage in activities to prepare her and her family for work. Any of these tasks may require her full attention and may not be able to be accomplished while complying with work requirements.