Assessment of Intimate Partner Violence and the Battered Woman Syndrome

Abstract

Forensic experts are often retained to conduct an evaluation of the mental state at the time of the offense of women charged with assaulting or killing spouses or partners. Many of these women report histories of intimate partner violence and a cluster of psychiatric/psychological symptoms that researchers have termed the battered woman syndrome (BWS). The clinical picture is similar to posttraumatic stress disorder. Expert testimony on BWS has become more accepted in the legal system during the past 30 years. Testimony can be mitigating and, at times, sufficient for the trier of fact to conclude that the defendant acted in self-defense. This article reviews research on BWS and describes the forensic expert's role in these cases. In addition to assessing mental state at the time of the offense, the expert often dispels myths associated with BWS and describes how each defendant did or did not fit the stereotype of the battered woman. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2017;47(12):593–597.]