Collusion is any act that intentionally or unintentionally supports bad, deceitful, or illegal behavior. In terms of battering, it is any act that discounts, condones, or ignores any of the tactics that batterers use to maintain power and control over their partner. The results of colluding are increased danger to the woman/victim, her children, family, and friends. Collusion means the woman must now protect herself, her children, and relatives from the batterer, as well as those that collude with him. In effect, those that collude revictimize her.

     Collusion makes the batterer more powerful by reinforcing his use of abusive and violent tactics. The batterer is allowed to enlist other people and systems to assist him in controlling his partner. The result is the creation of more barriers and elimination of support, resources, and safe places battered women need to access to end the violence.

     Colluding also prevents the man/batterer from being held accountable for his violence. If not held accountable, the batterer continues to do violence not only to his partner and other relatives, but to his own spiritual being. Everyone continues to suffer.

• Not arresting when there is probable cause or charging lesser crimes, like disorderly conduct.Not determining who is the predominant aggressor and making a dual arrest.

• Buying into his minimizing, lying and blaming; "I was drunk." "I just shoved her." "I was abused as a child." "She hit me first." " She's got PMS/is sick/is a bad mother, so I..."

• Acting as if violence against the mother is not child abuse.

• Acting as if his violent behavior and use of tactics is a "private family matter." Not confronting him at work, socially, etc. Not having policies, procedures and protocols that make him accountable.

• Saying things like: "Well, you should see how she keeps house/looks at other men/talks to him." "She gets drunk all the time." "She verbally abuses him, too."

• Laughing at his jokes and stories about her that are demeaning, embarrassing, or humiliating to her. Not telling him this behavior is disrespectful and unacceptable.

• Not acting when you know she is being abused and beaten. Pretending you didn't hear, see, or know what's going on.

• Not confronting him about his internalized oppression when he says sexist or other oppressive things.

• Bailing him out, talking to the judge/officers/prosecutor/child protection workers in defense of his violence.

• Ignoring his continued abuse of his partner.

• Not confronting him when he is name-calling or in other ways abusing her in front of you.

• Not providing her resources; making her justify her survival skills and requests for help.

• Telling his partner she needs to change or has a problem too or in some way provoked/starts/deserves the violence. "Yes, his behavior is bad, but you..."

• Not having resources, policies, procedures and protocols in place that provide her safety (including safety in the workplace).