Dial Up The Shame

Generally I'm not a fan of Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings because of his stance on gun control, but in this instance I can appreciate his comments and what he is trying to accomplish. Thankfully I have never witnessed domestic violence as is referenced here. I did, however, convince my mother to leave her second husband before her marriage to him turned into something more violent.

Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings, who in January launched an initiative to combat domestic violence in his city, suggested "dialing up the shame" for men who commit violent acts against women.
"You can call a man who hits a woman a lot of things," Rawlings said, "but you can't call him a man."

It is my understanding that abusive relationships exist because there is a monopoly of power--whether real or perceived. The victim doesn't see how they can escape because of fears the abuser will come and find them or they misplace the blame for the abuse on themselves. There are many other reasons, but it comes down to power and how the abuser holds sway over the one they abuse. Empowering the victim to recognize the abuse for what it is certainly helped in my situation. I would guess that pointing out the abuse to the abuser rarely yields anything but denials, excuses and more misplaced blame.
I could turn this into a rant about the parallels between domestic relationships and the relationship between the American government and citizens. Monopolies of power are dangerous no matter where they are found. I'll let you make that government/governed leap on your own. Whether on the micro or macro scale I would encourage everyone to help victims recognize their situation and take appropriate actions. Go read it.