Battered Woman Syndrome Case Study

In marcia’s case of violence and abuse, there are facts that prove her to be innocent of the murder of her husband, as well as guilty. Several details about the case show how the husband is at fault as they relate to specific theories of family violence and domestic abuse. On the other hand, Marcia may be seen as guilty due to legal matters of her acts of violence.

One detail about Mitchell that sticks out greatly in this case, is that he did not work. According to the Resource Theory, “males that do not have high-paying jobs often resort to violence more often as a way of controlling the spouse” (Wallace and Roberson, pg. 19). In Mitchell’s case, the fact that he did not hold a job shows that he was more likely to abuse his wife as a way to be in control. Forcing his wife to prostitute also put the Patriarchy Theory into play. Mitchell forcing Marica to prostitute on the streets shows that he was being possessive of her and tried to dominate the relationship. The Patriarchy Theory

Marcia could be seen as innocent because of this law. Proper evidence during a court case must be provided for Battered Woman Syndrome to be effective. Battered woman syndrome (BWS) is a mental disorder that can be caused by domestic violence due to severe long-term abuse in a relationship. The court may take into consideration that a BWS woman feels that she is justified for becoming violent towards her abuser, and that she was in acceptable fear of impending danger because of her past abusive experiences by the abuser. It is mentioned in Marcia’s case that she was fearful of having Mitchell arrested by the police because she thought she would be killed herself. Marcia’s fears lead her to self harm herself by ingesting an entire bottle of pills. These circumstances of fear and self-harm show that Marcia could definitely be diagnosed with BWS. This diagnosis would prove her to be innocent of the murder of her