Why Women Do Not Leave

The most common question asked of an abused woman is, “why don’t you just leave?”. That is a much more complicated question then people realize, and here’s why. Many abused women are in a very low-income bracket and can’t afford to move. Others have husbands that have controlled every part of their life, including access to any bank accounts. So, they don’t have the resources needed so leave. Many women have children that they will be leaving with and the thought of them not having a secure place to go is a difficult one to face. However, when the abuse gets to the point where they feel they can’t take anymore or they feel their very life could be in danger, they must face these fears. Another common thought is that the abused woman’s family will help them get away from their abuser. This is not always the case. Many women have been isolated by their abusive husbands to the point where their family has not communicated with them in a long time. To suddenly ask for help from those same family members would feel awkward at best. But, out of desperation, some have reached out to family only to find themselves feeling like a burden. They know this is not a permanent situation because they feel the tension they have caused by moving in.

A study on abused women and homelessness needs to be conducted in rural areas where public transportation doesn’t exist. There needs to be a study on women that have teenage sons over the age of 14. What happens to these families? There needs to be a study about how to prevent a woman from returning to her abusive partner or ways to prevent domestic violence before a potential abuser reaches a certain age. There needs to be studies on woman that can’t speak English and how they find help. And there definitely needs to be more research on how long it would take for the average woman of any color, in any area of the country to get back solidly on her feet and set her up for