Why do women stay in abusive relationships?

Researchers have a lot of data on why women stay in abusive relationships. (There is not much data yet on why men stay in abusive relationships.) Some of the reasons women stay in abusive relationships are:

--Lowered self-esteem and lack of confidence in their own perceptions of reality
--Lack of conviction that the relationship is bad enough to leave
--Fear of being alone; emotional dependence
--A fear that they will not find a better relationship elsewhere
--Belief that the children need their father in the household
--Fear of losing their children
--A focus on the good times, rather than the abusive times
--Love for the abuser, which is often really love based on dependence, attachment, or gratitude
--A belief that they are to blame, that they need to work harder to make a better marriage or partnership, that they deserve no better
--Fear of retaliation by the very person whom they wish to leave
--Lack of financial resources to survive on their own or to take care of their children. Women are traditionally more tied into a marriage than a man and cannot leave as easily.
--Lack of institutional support to leave the relationship (lack of support from police, clergy, counselors, the courts, or social services). Society sometimes lacks sympathy toward the victim of domestic violence, particularly when the victim is within a marital or permanent domestic partnership. People often believe that the abuse must have been provoked, and therefore it is appropriate.
--Lack of support from friends and family to leave an emotionally abusive relationship. Friends and family are often more sympathetic to the impact of physical abuse than they are to verbal or nonverbal emotional abuse.
In summary, women stay because of fear, isolation, some form of love, or a combination of these.

Information on why women stay in abusive relationships taken from Help Guide.