Let's Talk: Why Don't Battered Women Leave?

Join Loop 21 tonight at 8 p.m. EST for a TweetUp about the forces that keep women in abusive relationships

Kasandra Perkins. The murder of the 22-year-old new mother by her NFL linebacker boyfriend raised many issues, among them the pervasive problem of domestic violence.

One in four women in the U.S. are victims of severe physical violence by their partners, a recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found.

Perkins was shot and killed Dec. 1 by NFL linebacker Jovan Belcher, her boyfriend and the father of her 3-month-old daughter. A short while later, Belcher shot and killed himself at the stadium where he played for the Kansas City Chiefs.

It may never be known what ultimately led Belcher to point a gun at the mother of his child. The couple reportedly had gone for counseling, and had argued about suspicions of his infidelity and her love of going out with friends.

But it is clear that women in troubled relationships often stay in them despite the risks to their safety. Others, like singer Rihanna whose 2009 assault by fellow singer and boyfriend Chris Brown made national headlines, seem all too willing to forgive and forget.

So why don't battered women leave their abusers?

Let's talk about it! Follow Loop 21 on Twitter to join a TweetUp tonight at 8 p.m. EST when we'll talk about why battered women don't leave their abusers. The hashtag is #L21DVchat.

Join us for our live TweetUp!

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