Battered Wife Syndrome is a psychological condition of a wife stemming from prolonged emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse from their spouse. It is better known as Battered Woman/Person Syndrome, widening the scope of the definition to apply to more cases with similar outcomes. A diagnosis of this nature usually arises after the abused person in question injures or kills their spouse, the abuser. In the trial following an event where the battered wife attacked and/or killed her abuser, it is sometimes questionable as to whether or not Battered Wife Syndrome is a justifiable reason to harm or kill another human being. But some background about Battered Wife Syndrome and policy recommendations could help determine on a case-by-case basis why the abusers fate might have had reasoning behind it.
Battered Wife Syndrome diagnoses are extremely similar to those of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dr. Rachel Yehuda, PhD, a professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division, at defines PTSD as an anxiety disorder that happens to people that are exposed to an extreme traumatic event that caused fear, horror, or helplessness (Yehuda, 2002). People suffering from PTSD can experience crippling symptoms, such as re-experiences of the initial, traumatic event, avoidance of potential reminders of that event, and hyper-arousal, which can include impaired concentration, insomnia, irritability, and increased startle reactions. With this background of PTSD, it makes it easier to imagine what it is like to have Battered Wife Syndrome. Some of the significant effects of PTSD are also seen in Battered Wife Syndrome, and those include pro-longed (four or more weeks) fear for ones life and the inability to perform adequately at work and during other daily activities in life. But the feminist approach, described by Dr.