What to do in a domestic disturbance

[karder]

I will just echo what everyone else is saying. Don't get involved during the disturbance. Let the police handle it. Families are strange in that they will be beating the heck out of each other and then both turn on you when you intervene. It sounds like the abuse is a regular thing, so you might want to check with your local battered woman's shelter and see if they have any out reach services or suggestions. Your church might also have some counseling resources. They might get a counselor to pay a home visit to the lady, especially if the husband is going to be locked up for a couple of days. Family abuse can be very hard to get out of psychologically, whether it is the victim is the wife, husband, children or siblings. There are not a lot of people who get hit once and leave, many times it takes a professional to assist them in getting out.

[ELB]

Ditto on the likely best course being NOT to intervene. I am as much a proponent of intervening on behalf of the defenseless (and society in general) as anyone, but domestic violence cases are very complicated.

Also dont jump to conclusions. Cops arrested a Co-Workers husband for Abuse, turns out it was defense, his wife had a mean left hook

There are plenty of studies and evidence that women are every bit as violent, and initiate at least as much if not more domestic violence as men. They just don't usually do as much damage with fisticuffs as men. However, many in society, including cops, have been programmed to assume it is the man's fault, so you may very intervene against the defender and for the aggressor.