The Open Window Phase: helpseeking and reality behaviors by battered women.

Battered women are trapped in a cycle of violence that is difficult to break. The purpose of this study was to determine when helpseeking and reality behaviors were most likely to be exhibited by battered women. The results of this study revealed a period of helpseeking and reality behaviors by battered women occurring in a cyclical pattern within the cycle of violence. The author named this period the Open Window Phase. This phase may be seen as a crucial opportunity for successful intervention in the lives of battered women and a positive step toward breaking the cycle of violence.