Battered‐Woman Syndrome

Abstract

Abstract Battered‐woman syndrome is the designation for the psychological effects of domestic violence on women who are the primary victims. Although sometimes used to convey the theoretical principles underlying the dynamics of domestic violence (also called intimate partner violence ), the research on battered‐woman syndrome has found that the criteria are so similar that it is a subcategory of posttraumatic stress disorder. Similar to battered‐child syndrome and rape trauma syndrome, battered‐woman syndrome accounts for the common factors such as gender issues, abuse of power and control, high levels of re‐experiencing the traumatic event or events, hyperarousal and anxiety, and avoidance or depression. Assessment is now used in legal cases as well as treatment planning using trauma‐specific interventions.