Should battered women be sent to prison for killing their abusers Research Proposal

Should battered women be sent to prison for killing their abusers - Research Proposal Example Therefore, the entire structure of the justice system changed and â€Å"police  officers,  prosecutors,  health  workers and  judges were encouraged to take action against intimate  abuse† (Dutton, 105). The changes in the justice system also gave rise to several challenges and here, a question arose that how battered women should be treated in the eyes of the law after killing their assaulters. The aim of this paper is to analyze the issue of battered women and sending them to prison if they murder their abusers. In order to understand the circumstances in which battered women kill their abusers, it is essential to understand the main features of a crime. In order to prove a crime, it is essential that the court determines whether the act was atrocious, against the law and illegitimate and was committed by the accused willingly, which would make him or her guilty (Jackson, 207). Research suggests that battered women develop mental disorders because of the abuse they experience. According to Jackson (221) , stress, depression, fear, anxiety and hopelessness are the most common psychological disorders found in these women. Furthermore, these women are most likely to experience chronic depression, which makes feel guilty (Dutton & Painter, 615). Furthermore, research suggests that sixty percent of these women remain with their abusive boyfriends or husbands and are unable to take any action because of their unstable mental condition. Research also suggests that these women are suicidal. Gillesp ie (100) suggests that more forty five percent of battered women are most likely to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As mentioned earlier, battered women are subjected to domestic violence and hence, they are most likely to suffer from psychological disorders, which may compel them to skill their assaulters after experiencing the abuse for a very long time. In order to define the psychological condition of battered women, the term