When it becomes widely known that someone was in an abusive relationship, a typical response from those around them – even friends and family members – is to ask why they didn’t leave. People are so confused about why someone would stay with a partner who’s abusing them.
However, as any victim knows, leaving these types of relationships can be tough. Nothing about this is easy. It is very hard for those not involved to understand how and why this happens but let’s look at some of the reasons.
They’re worried about their financial position
One of the biggest things that abusers will often do is take financial control over their victims. For instance, an abusive spouse may tell the other spouse that they can never withdraw money from the bank account, even if they’re working. This means that the person cannot leave because they would not even be able to do simple things like paying rent or buying food. They’re dependent on the other person, and so they stay.
They’re worried about retaliation
In other cases, the victim is worried that things will only worsen if they try to leave. They worry about their aggressor catching them and retaliating against them. Essentially, they attempt to accept the situation they’re in at the moment for fear of it getting worse in the future.
If you are trapped in one of these relationships, please be aware that you have options. You don’t have to stay, and you need to know what legal steps to take to protect yourself.