Domestic violence primarily affects women, with a woman experiencing abuse in the US every 15 seconds. It is one of the leading causes of harm for women aged 15-44. While domestic violence is prevalent, women often remain in abusive relationships due to fears of shame, embarrassment, and retaliation from their abuser if they leave. Judge Richard Halloran argues society should focus not on why victims stay, but why abusers commit violence and how communities can better prevent its tolerance.

1. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS OFTEN
TRAPPED BY THE DYNAMICS OF ABUSE
Judge Richard Halloran:

2. A family law advocate with decades of
experience, Judge Richard B. Halloran serves
the Wayne County Third Circuit Court's Family
Division. He has an extensive background in
domestic violence matters, including time as a
member of the State Bar of Michigan's Domestic
Violence Committee. Over the course of his
career, Judge Halloran earned numerous
awards, among them the Michigan Domestic
Violence Prevention and Treatment Board
Commitment Award.

3. Studies show that a majority of all domestic
abuse involves violence towards women. Every
quarter of a minute, a woman in the United
States undergoes abuse at the hands of her
husband or domestic partner. The problem is so
pervasive, domestic violence stands among the
leading causes of harm to women aged 15 to
44, edging out the combined effects of other
causes. Despite the frequency with which this
type of abuse occurs, women very often choose
to stay in abusive relationships.

4. Some women fear shame and
embarrassment, not wanting others to know
about the state of their domestic lives. Victims
sometimes cannot leave for fear of the
consequences. Women who leave face violence
still, with many reported domestic assaults
taking place around the time of the separation
or divorce.

5. Judge Richard Halloran challenges society not
to ask why victims accept abuse, rather, to
question why abusers carry out the violence and
why the rest of us seem to tolerate this
behavior.