Overview: the "wife-beater's wife" reconsidered
Abstract
Although not a new phenomenon, wife-beating has been largely ignored by mental health professionals. The author describes a context in which the physical abuse of women as wives can be understood and suggests alternative theoretical constructs to traditional theories of masochism as explanations of why women stay in violent marital relationships. She discusses the societal attitudes that normalize the use of family violence as well as attitudes about women, men, and sex roles that leave women vulnerable to assault; summarizes the research on abused wives; identifies a specific stress response syndrome caused by violent abuse; and elaborates on the problems posed for clinicians working with abused women.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
