Women are targets of violence by their husbands in many homes all over the world.
In the United States alone, about 2,000 women are beaten to death by their husbands annually despite the prevailing tough legislation against wife battery.
On a global scale, many women lose their lives to domestic violence in countries where there are no existing laws against this vice.
The physically abused wife needs care for her physical and emotional injuries.
It is a myth to claim that some abused women have a masochistic streak that keeps them in the home long after the beatings have begun.
The fact is, battery diminishes a woman's motivation to respond to violence and this in turn produces psychological paralysis that prevents her from leaving the relationship.
In caring for a battered woman, do the following: 1.
Evaluate the mental state of the victim to enable you assess the nature and extent of the abuse she is undergoing.
A victim that gives a history of violent acts such as attempted strangulation, being pinned to the wall or floor, receiving repeated kicks and punches, being threatened with a weapon or having been assaulted with a weapon is considered to be under sufficient threat to her life to warrant removal from the husband's reach to a safe haven or shelter.
The matter should be reported to the Police; a protection order should be sought if the partner continues breathing threats of further attacks against the victim.
2.
Take the victim to a hospital for thorough examination, investigations and treatment.
The doctor should exclude fractures and damages to internal organs if the woman was rushed to the emergency room.
3.
A professional counselor's expertise would be required to help her get over the emotional wounds of battery.
Wife beating is a concrete way of saying a woman is worthless; it is an attack on her essence; the scars from such a message run so deep that professional psychologists are needed to restore victims to sound mental state.
The incidence of suicide is high among abused women; it may be necessary to get psychiatric consultation for victims to avert this problem.
4.
Provide economic security for the victim.
Get her engaged with a trade or job to make her economically independent because economic insecurity is one of the reasons why many women refuse to leave an abusive relationship early enough.
A job will occupy her, hasten the healing process while giving her a new lease of life.
5.
Social and family supports are very important for the recovery of the abused wife.
They help in restoring her self-esteem and self worth which had been badly damaged in her former relationship.
6.
Identify what she could do that could help her get over the hurt of her past and which would bring joy of living back to her.
7.
Relocating from the environment where she was physically abused to a more beautiful and safe area could expedite her recovery from the horrendous experiences of the past.
8.
Provision of materials that can enhance spiritual healing in ways that the victim is familiar and comfortable with such as books, audio and videotapes.
9.
Joining a vibrant Christian church will build her up spiritually and engage her in useful activities that will help in healing her hurts.
Emotional healing is a long arduous process that requires God's grace to achieve.
10.
She should take time and recover from this troubled marriage before considering another.
While remarriage should not be ruled out, it must not be rushed in to either.