In the few cases I've seen personally, it's because they're afraid of the abuser's reaction. They're afraid that if they go to a friend's house, the abuser wil

In the few cases I've seen personally, it's because they're afraid of the abuser's reaction. They're afraid that if they go to a friend's house, the abuser will go there and break in. They're afraid that if they call the police, the abuser will find out, fool the police into thinking that everything is okay, and then escalate from there. They're afraid that even if the abuser is arrested, convicted and imprisoned, the punishment is just delayed until the release.