Rural and urban men and women of all religious, ethnic, racial, economic, educational backgrounds; of varying ages, and lifestyles. We are discovering more and more physically disabled and elderly people are abused. There is NO "typically battered personality". The risk factor I often being born female or becoming physically handicapped.
Over 50% of all women will experience physical violence in an intimate relationship, and for 24 to 34% of those women the battering will be regular and on-going.
Although there is no profile of the woman who will be battered, there is a well-documented syndrome of what happens once the battering starts. Battered women experience shame, embarrassment, isolation, repression of feelings, and may be prevented by control and fear from planning or acting on their own behalf. Women may not leave battering immediately because they realistically fear that the batterer will become more violent if they attempt to leave; there are few supports to their leaving; they know the difficulties of single parenting in reduced financial circumstances; there is a mix of good times-love-hope along with manipulation-intimidation-fear. They may not know about or have access to safety and support.
(Source: Largo Police Dept, Largo FL)