Battered women and the myth of masochism.
Domestic violence is a major health issue. Research on this problem is just in its infancy. It remains a problem because there has been widespread acceptance of violence in our culture as a means of solving and dealing with problems. Women have been the targets. Waites admonishes health professionals to stop using the concept of masochism as an explanation for abusive behavior. She asks instead for us to look at female motivation in terms of the actual choices that are available and the realistic consequences of these choices. Perhaps only then will health professionals become able to break the cycle of violence and intervene in a way that stops the woman from becoming another homicide statistic.
Moss
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VA
Bellin College of Nursing, Green Bay, Wisconsin 54305.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005619:Freudian Theory; D005783:Gender Identity; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008398:Masochism / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D011582:Psychological Theory; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence