My mom and I were talking about this a couple of weeks ago. I think one reason that it stayed in the familiy is because families were expected to police themselves. They all stayed close and fathers, brothers, males were expected to make sure that men treated the women right and no one seemed to get too upset if the abuser got roughed up in the process of straightening him out. JAT
I grew up in the South a long time ago, and this is how I was taught to behave as a man. I was expected to "roughen up" someone that abused his family.
Bastard Out of Carolina has a wonderful scene where the Grandmother finds horrible bruises on the granddaughter, tells the men and they make sure step-dad gets the message.
However, in my experience, in quieter communities, abusers can hide neatly via fear, intimidation AND community status. IOW “He’s such a fine deacon and he says the most wonderful prayers to open Sunday School, he’d never do anything like that!”
For every way to protect, the monsters find away to do harm.