Why doesn't she leave? From the first day they met, everyone knew that Katie and Ted would be together forever. He always told everyone how much he loved her and that she was the perfect wife and mother. However, behind closed doors it was a different story. Ted was not a nice man in "his" house, he was verbally abusive and constantly accused Katie of cheating on him. These outbursts of rage were immediately followed by flowers and apologies. Katie was abused by Ted, however, she loved him and he promised to never hurt her again. According to Gosselin (2014), the cycle of violence is the theory that best describes the ongoing and abusive relationship between Katie and Ted (p.175). The cycle of violence contains three elements, or stages, that allow the offender to bring the victim back after each incident of violence (Gosselin, 2014, p. 175). The first step is called tension creation. This is when the offender is bottling up all of their frustrations and the victim may feel like they are walking on eggshells around the offender (Gosselin, 2014, p. 175). The second stage is called the explosion, and this is exactly what happens: the offender uses all of this stored energy, anger, and frustration to beat or abuse the victim (Gosselin, 2014, p. 175). However, the third and final stage of the cycle of violence is the honeymoon stage, it is the stage where the offender seeks to reconcile with the victim and prevents the victim from leaving with excuses and promises that abuse will not happen again (Gosselin, 2014). , p.175). To the victim, this may make it seem like the abuser has simply lost his temper and is unlikely to abuse again, but this is where the victim is wrong, hence the name of the theory , it is a repeated cycle of violence. ...... in the middle of paper ...... didn't she just leave? However, when informed of the real-life complications faced by victims of domestic violence, a viewer may instead ask, "How can I help her leave?" » Katie may not think leaving is an option and may not even view her situation as abuse, but a knowledgeable advocate for victims of domestic violence may be able to recognize the signs and share with Katie that her life should not necessarily be so. There are many explanations for why she stays and only a few should guide her otherwise, because a bystander or survivor who becomes aware of the issues surrounding domestic violence and intimate partner violence can increase the victim's chances of survival. Victims need to be educated and connected to resources before they begin to feel that there can be hope for a better life and only until then will they remain victims and not survivors..66964383