It is estimated that domestic abuse affects at least 2 million married
             Americans every year. The number rises further when adding in non-married
             and gay couples (Hamberger and Renzetti, 1996, pg. xi). Clearly, the
             problem of domestic abuse is widespread, even out of control in America
             today. While domestic abuse happens in both sexes, it seems to affect
             women more than it does men. Women are often dominated so effectively by
             their partners that they will not speak out about the abuse because they
             are fearful of more violence. Some men even threaten their partners with
             death if they discuss the violence at home. Some women are held virtual
             prisoners in their own homes by their abusive mates. What causes domestic
             abuse, and how can it be controlled in our country'
             Just like most violent criminals, domestic abusers have some patterns
             of behavior in common. Many researchers have found that majorities of
             abusers have psychological disorders. They write, "The most frequently
             reported are the borderline, antisocial, and compulsive personality
             disorders and [â€] the violence-prone personality" (Hamberger & Renzetti,
             1996, pg. xii-xiii). In addition, it is common for abusers to come from
             abusive homes; they simply repeat the violent patterns they learned as
             children. In addition, one self-proclaimed abuser notes, abusers tend to
             have low self-esteem, volatile tempers, are exceptionally possessive and/or
             jealous, have a need to have power over others, feelings of isolation and a
             need to be "fixed" or taken care of, a history of cruelty or violence, and
             fear of abandonment, which may often stem from childhood abuse (H., Will).
             However, not all abusers have psychological problems, and other experts
             argue that abusers are as much a product of society as they are their own
             personality disorders (Hamberger & Renzetti, 1996, pg. xiii). Thus, male
             abusers come from a...