Showing spousal abuse on television and in movies doesn't promote it. It exposes its existence. People who are physically or mentally abused in their youth become abusers themselves unless they make the conscious decision to break the cycle. Boys who grow up watching their fathers beat their mothers grow up to believe that this is acceptable behavior unless they have valid information to the contrary and make the conscious decision to break the cycle of violence. Many women who stay with violent men come from violent backgrounds and don't believe that they deserve better than they have. In my job, police officers often send abuse and rape victims to me and I do classes for the local women's crisis center. I teach victims how to refuse to be victims again. It always amazes me that they are perfectly willing to beat the crap out of my teaching partner, but they would never even consider hitting the husband that put them in the hospital last week. It's a very complicated thing that only becomes easier to deal with a little bit at a time BECAUSE more people are becoming aware of the problem through the media. It's important to continue to enucate the public by dealing with the subject openly. (by the way, I actually agree with the disemboweling thing. I'm just not allowed to say so on the job.) No person has the right to inflict violence on another person. When they do, they should be handled in whatever way is appropriate regardless of their sex. The sad thing is - if you publicly confront the abuser, they often wait till they get home and take it out physically once again on their original victim. It tends to be a futile, no win situation.