There are so many reasons women stay.

1. Some stay because they feel that being independent and self supporting is even more difficult than enduring abuse. Many are convinced that they must have a man to pay bills, cgange oil in their car, drive places, fix things etc They can’t snd won’t learn independence so they’d rather stay abused

2. Wrongly assumed that “for better or worse” also includes enduring abuse. Wrong

3. Can’t and don’t know how to be alone

4. Wrongly assume that it’s healthier for kids to observe parents in bad marriage than having parents divorced. Wrong. Then they should not be surprised their kids aren’t able to be in good relationships themselves: they never saw one

5. Fear. Fear of consequences. Fear that it could worse if you leave. My husbands ex threatened suicide if he left her (and attempted when he tried to leave first time), causing him problems at work (she tried that when he finally left), causing him problems with kids (she tried that too, didn’t succeed), threaten to not allow him to see kids (she tried that), threatened to unleash smear campaign (she tried that). It took him many years to leave her and for kids to grow up and finally estrange from her.