Domestic Violence Pregnancy
Why Are Pregnant Women More Vulnerable
to Domestic Abuse?

by Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D.

Have you noticed how domestic violence shows its ugly head when there is a bun in the oven? There is something about pregnancy that predisposes battered women to an intensification of domestic abuse. What is it?

Pregnancy and Domestic Violence

We see an increase in intimate partner violence during pregnancy because partner abuse is essentially about control. Violence may be a manifestation of domestic violence, but domestic abuse is fundamentally about control, and the perpetrator can’t bear to be out of control. When the perpetrator feels that he’s losing his grip, violence will escalate so as to regain control.

According to FBI reports, 75% of all homicides by intimate male partners occurred after the victim left. A victim leaving is the ultimate loss of control for an intimate partner abuser. This is why there is an increase in intimate partner violence during pregnancy.

When that life is left by the expectant mother (that is the battered one), from her perpetrator’s point of view, she left. She’s taken emotional energy previously dedicated to her partner and invested it in the unborn fetus. From where he stands, that’s no different from leaving. Violence will escalate so as to re-engage control.

Scott Peterson said, “You don’t understand my loss. My wife is gone.” Amber Fry said, ”How could she be gone, before she went missing?“ My sense is as that pregnancy progressed, Scott needed something/someone for himself. That’s why he had the affair. He was dealing with his loss. What did he lose? He lost control. Laci left before she went missing.

Statistics and Facts about Violence toward Pregnant Women

Twenty-five percent of all victims of domestic abuse are pregnant women. And forty percent of all assaults to women by their domestic partners occurred during their first pregnancy. It’s estimated that pregnant women are at twice the risk for battery.

If you are in an abusive relationship, beware of the fact that your pregnancy can ignite an escalation in intimate partner violence. Don’t fool yourself into believing that a pregnancy will tame your abusive partner. Be realistic now that you have the insights given in this article. Seek to deal with the intimate partner abuse in your relationship before creating a family.

For resources helping domestic abuse survivors, visit www.preventabusiverelationships.com/ebooks.php and claim your Free Instant Access to Survivor Success eInsights. Psychologist Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D. helps couples nationwide end and heal from domestic abuse.

© Jeanne King, Ph.D. — Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention

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