Answering The Impossible Question That Is “Why Do They Stay?”

Fear. Shame. Guilt. Isolation. Children. Family. Love. Faith. Lack of resources. Lack of finances. Lack of support. Just some of the complex reasons women who have experienced domestic violence identify for why they stayed in abusive relationships. The question “why doesn’t she just leave” dominates and derails the way we talk about and approach domestic violence. Writer and survivor Beverly Gooden confronted this question head on and ignited a movement with her #WhyIStayed hashtag. Find out more about her story and hear from other survivors in our new short #WhyWeStayed. These women have helped to transform a one-dimensional conversation focused on victim-blaming into a more nuanced, national dialogue. Thank you to all the women who courageously share your stories. Thank you for showing us what avenues for change exist when we stop the victim-blaming and focus instead on how to stop the abuse. The creation of this piece was made possible by Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention and The Kind World Foundation. #ENDPrivateViolence