For someone who has never been abused, it is hard to understand why a woman would accept to live with domestic violence. The dynamics of a woman being abused by her intimate partner are extremely complicated.

She fears him and believes he is all-powerful. Often he makes threats against her, he will kill her if she reports him to anyone or if she tries  to leave.

She may be financially dependent on him and see  no feasible alternative.

She feels she must maintain the appearance of a  good marriage.

She has a "trauma bond" with her abuser. Often he is her only support system  psychologically, since he has isolated her from friends and family.

She stays for the sake of the children feeling that a bad father is better than no father or he has threatened to kill the children if she tries to take them away.

She feels that the law enforcement and the judicial authorities do not take wife-beating  seriously.

Often the men are otherwise mild-mannered and  sociable, maybe even highly respected in the  community, and her concerns are not taken  seriously.

She does not know that there is help and resources available for her and she feels  trapped.

She believes that this battering incident will be  the last.

She believes things will get better over time.

She is repeatedly told by the abuser that  everything is her fault.

She may be afraid of the abusers family  retaliating against her if she leaves or if she reports the abuse.

Abused women forget, or do not realize that abuse  is illegal and does not happen in healthy,  normal, loving relationships.