battered woman syndrome

Plain English

Battered woman syndrome describes the psychological and behavioral effects of being in a relationship with repeated physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. A woman experiencing this syndrome may exhibit learned helplessness, fear, low self-esteem, and difficulty leaving the abusive relationship. In legal contexts, evidence of battered woman syndrome can be introduced to support a self-defense claim, showing why the victim's response to abuse was reasonable even if it appears disproportionate to an outside observer.

Example

A woman who has endured years of beatings from her partner shoots him during what she reasonably believes is an imminent threat to her life. Her attorney introduces expert testimony about battered woman syndrome to explain why she perceived the danger and why she believed lethal force was necessary.

Used in a sentence

“The defense presented evidence of battered woman syndrome to support the defendant's claim of self-defense.”

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