Much has been written about racism's insidious role in the criminal justice system, but recent cases involving O.J. Simpson, the Menendez brothers, and Lorena Bobbitt have opened public debate on how gender bias affects the way crime, criminal responsibility, and criminal justice are perceived. A great deal has been learned about the psychology of abusive relationships. Despite this knowledge, however, outrage is sometimes expressed about why an abused person recounts a life of torment to explain why he or she struck out at the abuser. The reason is that the male model of criminal justice pervades the public's consciousness, particularly in the case of the battered woman syndrome.