Legal Definitions - battered-spouse syndrome

Battered-spouse syndrome is a medical and psychological condition that affects individuals who have suffered physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from their spouse or partner. It is also known as battered-woman syndrome.

The syndrome was first described in the 1970s by Dr. Lenore Walker. It consists of a three-stage cycle of violence:

• The tension-building stage, which may include verbal and mild physical abuse
• The acute battering stage, which includes stronger verbal abuse, increased physical violence, and perhaps rape or other sexual abuse
• The loving-contrition stage, which includes the abuser's apologies, attentiveness, kindness, and gift-giving

Battered-spouse syndrome is sometimes used as a defense to justify or mitigate a woman's killing of a man.

For example, if a woman kills her abusive husband after years of physical and emotional abuse, she may argue that she was suffering from battered-spouse syndrome and acted in self-defense.

Another example is a woman who is afraid to leave her abusive partner because she fears for her safety and the safety of her children. She may feel trapped and unable to seek help.

These examples illustrate how battered-spouse syndrome can have a profound impact on an individual's mental and physical health, as well as their ability to make decisions and seek help.