Spouse abuse has historic roots. Females have been bought and sold and bartered, ritually branded and mutilated, denied education, land ownership, means of travel, and are not yet full partners in owning and controlling the major institutions of this world. In a political sense, the female gender is engaged in a long march from slavery, still eclipsed in the shadow of patriarchal dominance. When parity in power is sought, too often the seeker is punished. Behind closed doors the punishment may be swift, explosive and brutal.
Some cultures permit more subjugation and intimidation of women than do others.
Some cultures extol the use of force to preserve the status of the male. When males teach males to slap their women to keep them in line, abuse is normative rather than aberrant. Although wife beating is no longer a publicly acceptable behavior, it is privately promoted within many male groups. For some, there is simply no exit. The door is open but she cannot leave.