Women’s rights have come a long way. Unfortunately, many statistics show that the more independent women become, the more violent men become toward them, collectively. This also threatens the stereotype many people hold of “weak” women falling prey to abusive husbands. In fact, studies have also shown that some abusers are especially drawn to strong women because they enjoy the challenge of “breaking” them.
The problem is that many women are married before they get to meet the darker side of their husbands. When they do, divorce can become a difficult process. This is made all the more difficult if there are children involved.
Domestic violence statistics
Forbes reports that every 9 seconds, a woman in America gets assaulted. For every three women, one has been abused by an intimate partner before. One in five of these cases is severe. In fact, domestic hotlines across America report that they receive roughly 28,000 calls on a daily basis. To add to this, about one in seven women have experienced unwanted attention in the form of stalking.
Difficulty getting a divorce
The New York Times reports that some women have an especially hard time getting a divorce. Among them are those who are poor and those whose immigration statuses depend on remaining married to their husbands for a few more years.
Even without immigration and money woes, the abused spouse must track down the abuser to serve the divorce papers. When these women are themselves in hiding, it further complicates matters as it creates a thread of paperwork back to them.
The bottom line
When wives do not sever legal ties, the abusive husband becomes an unbearable weight. Getting car insurance, purchasing a home and even creating a retirement plan all have stipulations that include the other spouse and may make the victim easier to find. Because of this many women bravely come out of hiding to pursue a divorce, so they can attempt to get rid of the dark shadow in their lives once and for all and move forward.
