On television, we see violent men and women abusing their partners, only for their partners to turn up in a police investigation later on. We read articles and court cases about people accusing their former loved ones of physical, sexual, and psychological violence. We see shelters opening up to take care of the sheer amount of cases involving domestic violence. We see research studies on the lasting consequences of domestic violence and sexual assault. We see marches and protests that encourage people to stand up to abuse. We even see a rise in court cases, despite social stigma, to attain justice for those who have suffered from domestic violence. 

And yet, somehow, someway, as genre authors, we’re still able to romanticize this violence in fiction. 

Romance

When the protagonist is being abused by their soon-to-be-former spouses, their situation is used as a reason for why the designated love interest is better for her. The author won’t go into any character development. When an abuser goes out of their way to control the protagonist, the protagonist is usually given an excuse to stay with them. For instance, the protagonist believes their abuser is sick, or that they’ll be the ones that help the abuser change. Examples of glamorized abuse include the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L James and the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer.

Horror 

Domestic abuse has also been used as a plot device for the horror genre, even if the abuse is being portrayed in a less favorable light. The abuse justifies the actions of the monster or hero and caters to the audience’s sense of justice. Or even worse, the abuse serves to horrify the audience, never portraying the abuse in a realistic light. Horror portrays domestic violence as an easy situation anyone can get out of, even though that is far from the case. Take, for instance, the movie Sinister 2. The abuser had little to no character development, and, from the audience’s viewpoint, seemed almost cartoonish. 

Adventure

Similar to romance, adventure and action stories use domestic violence to bring the hero to their love interest. This is often portrayed as the hero freeing the victim from their abuser. In other words, the audience is given a reason to support the hero. As for the victim, they aren’t necessarily developed as a character. Instead, they serve as the hero’s cheerleader, as their support. The author places the hero’s need for praise over the victim’s need for acceptance and empathy. It is quite ironic since acceptance and empathy are qualities the hero is supposed to emulate.

Domestic violence is a controversial topic. No one likes talking about it, much less writing about it. Even so, it’s important for writers to understand the impact it has on genre fiction, and to see the implications of what we put out. It might not be to the extent of fantastical worlds like the ones found in Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings, but it’s important nonetheless.