Why do women mostly prefer to hide or ignore it while being abused, instead reporting it to legal authorities?

Answer 1

They are ashamed and embarrassed. Plus the men usually apologize and promise it won't happen again, or they threaten them with more violence if she tells anyone.

Answer 2

Oh boy this is a big issue!

Most women and men who are abused would prefer to be taken seriously and society on there side. This still is not the case!!
Mr and I were talking about this as we were watching a John Wayne movie where he was spanking a women with a metal ash shovel. How this was acceptable behavior, put into comedy scenes even.
We would like to say as you have and the women (men are abused as well) mostly prefer to hide or ignore getting the snot kicked out of them. What is a women or a man who is being abused choices? Get a restraining order so the abuser can just walk through it and do whatever "he" wants? What about if there are kids involved. The judge usually will let this person still visit his kids, therefor the mother has to be involved. How about supervised visitation? Like a situation that happened here in Oregon, the man took off with the kids and killed them. He was being supervised....by the way this is not just one instance there are many others....
How does a women who has lived all of her life learn any different? There is help out there you say, not if the abuser is keeping track of her movements how does she get this?
The cops do not help!! Can I say this any louder? COPS DO NOT HELP! Here in Oregon it is a joke! If the abuser knows the cops or is a predominate figure in society might as well go shoot yourself then to turn your other into the cops for domestic violence.
Many cultures this is a acceptable practice. Women doesn't listen smack her upside her head, or keep your women barefoot and pregnant. How many women do not work outside the house (not having a choice) and have no money? The home not in her name, the cars not in her name, bank account not in her name.
Another question was on the boards I believe yesterday where a man asked what can he do? He said his wife beats up on him. Most of the replies were to hit the wife back, be a man. This is the problem with domestic violence!! Go look this answer up that I responded to. Go to my profile then to my answers it is there...read for yourself what his answers were, shameful!!
This is such a bigger issue then black and white! Mr. and I both agreed it will be at least another fifty years before this problem is set into the past. If we are lucky....
It has not been long since some parts of Oregon even recognized this as illegal behavior! For the USA in whole this has not been illegal for very long. It takes time to change a society and how in whole a society thinks.....
Hopefully I have made sense to some? Go volunteer at a domestic violence shelter you will see what society thinks of abused women! You will be as sickened by it as I am!

Answer 3

FEAR, you dumb ***. They are afraid to death of being murdered. Do you know how many women are killed each year by their abusers. Most of them have been abused all of their lives and are caught in the vicious cycle of abuse. They are so brainwashed that they honestly believe that their abusers can do anything, even escape from custody, hunt them down and...
They feel that there is no escape. Many women will fear their abusers even when they are older and stronger than their abusers, once the abusers have become feeble or infirm. Many women won't even deal with, or admit to the abuse until after their abusers have died.
It is a lifetime of control, conditioning and brainwashing and extremely difficult to get away from. These women need a lot of professional help, peer support and a very safe place to hide.
If you are an abusive person, you need just as much help.

Answer 4

Often a women doesn't see the situation clearly because the abuse didn't start all at once. Most abusers can appear to be very sweet people at the beginning of a relationship. By they time the see that there is a problem, they are usually scared and usually feel that they really love the person and that he loves her. The abuse promises to change and is super nice for awhile. Then the abuse starts again... It is a horrible cycle that is hard to get out of.

Answer 5

Because they aren't only victims of physical abuse but emotional abuse as well. Their self-esteem is so low that they feel they deserve, or are the cause of the outbursts of the batterer. The abused usually comes from a dysfunctional family and is learned that it is a normal way of life. They may learned to equate love with violence, such as if he really didn't love me he wouldn't get so angry if he sees me talking to another man or the man tells the woman I want to know where you are at all times b/c I'm so worried about you & I love you, when really it's more about control rather than love. That's why we should teach children when they're very young that violence, jealousy, & control are not healthy in any relationship but respect, courtesy, trust & kindly discussing disagreements in an effective manner are the ways in dealing with problems. We as adults can send clear messages to the youth by setting examples. Disagreements can be healthy as long as they're dealt with in contrustive adult-like manners. Which can be discussing the issues & together finding solutions rather than striking the other physically. Anger is a healthy & normal emotion, it's how you express it & deal with it.

Answer 6

They have been "programmed" that way. Usually the abuse is not just physical. There is a lot of Mental abuse too, degrading the victim, putting them down, making them feel worthless. Making them feel like it is their fault this has happened. The dual abuse goes hand in hand since the abuser is a control freak. It's all about control, and because they can't see that they have a problem causing them to act out in this way.

For the woman (who make up the majority), there is a pride thing, particularly if children are involved. And, they are just plain Afraid and very insecure.

Answer 7

that is a very inaccurate generalization.
women who are extremely insecure with low self esteem prefer to hide and ignore abuse. And some are fearful of their lives.
But, most of us would probably try to kill the guy, then report it to legal authorities.

Answer 8

because they are scared of the person. the "authorities" won't really protect a woman. even if you get a restraining order, the men will violate it, but all you can do is take them to court. They don't want to provoke or anger them more.
Also, women who put up with abuse probably have a history of it and have low self-esteem. they often think that they deserve this treatment. they don't see the big picture. on a day to day basis, their life is probably pretty normal.

Answer 9

Shame, guilt, embarrassment, and also the fear that if they report it they may be murdered. A very real and horrible fact. It is not that they are ignoring it, some are so emotionally and mentally abused they have lost the will or fight to do anything. God bless****

Answer 10

Boy! Where do I begin?! I was assaulted, physically by an uncle who had come home drunk from a bar one night. My aunt, who had also been drinking, did absolutely nothing to call 911, or to get him off of me. I was lucky enough to make it to a phone, and whisper the address, my name, my uncle's name, and what he had done to me. While I waited for the police to arrive, I locked myself in my car in the driveway and prayed that he wouldn't come outside to continue the physical assault. The officer who arrived on the scene was very inexperienced, looked at my face which was covered in bruises, hair pulled out of my head in chunks, and decided that he wanted to lock me in his car ALONE while he went to go talk with my aunt and uncle first! I was terrified to be alone at that point (and he later wrote in his report that I had no indications of injury to my face and body). They both lied to him, and said that I instigated the argument when I was the one who told him, "let's just agree to disagree" re: a prejudicial topic on t.v. (he always tried to instigate these issues because he knew how I teach in the inner city and don't appreciate hearing about racism). I showed the officer, and EMT's the cut on my toe that I had received from the glass beer mug that he had thrown at the wall which then shattered on the floor next to my foot. I wanted him arrested immediately, and was shocked to learn from the officer that he was not going to file a report even though I was the only one who had not been drinking and was clearly assaulted. As he put it, " It is their word against your word." Luckily, the nurse who had provided me with the MRI results (multiple contusions to the head), called a crime victims unit to the hospital. I went to the state police, who then arrested him, and only wanted him to go before a judge in order to get anger management. The Assistant D.A. would not present the case to the judge in my favor because my aunt and uncle had met with him (and of course, their lawyers-they had connections in their city of which I was only visiting) before he ever met with me. I now have Post Concussive Syndrome four years later which causes me to be very tired most of the time, and it is also very difficult to focus or concentrate. I even went to the Assistant D.A.'s supervisor in order to present pictures of my injuries, and never heard a word from him. The LIES that this officer wrote in his report were unbelieveable, and in the past, I would have never thought that it would be possible. When women don't make an effort to report, it is most often because they are ashamed and feel that they will never be believed by law enforcement. Luckily, I have a strong spirit, but to this day, I have resentment re: how the case was handled. Don't be so quick to assume that the victim is hiding or ignoring the abuse, they may have gone through appropriate channels previously without any success. Also, the abuser can make threats that are very real to the victim. 'Hope that this clarifies things for you. ;.)