Originally Posted by
OpheliaKatz 
I am so glad that people are slowly starting to understand what abusers are really like. I have met so many men and women who think that women in abusive relationships are "not feminist" or "have no self-respect" ... but it's more complicated than these statements that actually imply that she deserved it.
I agree and I also think this will be hard to prove. I also don't think that most people do understand. I think it takes life experience to understand. In fact it's not that different from someone who doesn't understand alcoholism, if you haven't seen it, if you haven't experienced it you don't understand the science or the dynamics.
Some people have a hard time identifying what others go through. I think it's easy when you are sitting somewhere, financially secure, employed, relatively happy and enjoying your life to look at a situation and say, why doesn't she just walk out, living on the street would surely be better?
They don't go on to think, hmm I wouldn't want to live on the street and have no support and not a blanket to sleep under. Then of course there is the dynamic of having probably gone through abuse for years and having your self-esteem and sanity tested.
I hope people take the time to listen.