Battered Wives

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Surveys the studies of battering and examines the characteristics of battered women and woman batterers

Arguing that we commonly understand "wife abuse" and the "battered woman" in terms of standardized images of problems and people, the author explores how these images inform and shape social services for women who have been assaulted. Using ethnographic data of shelter work from the perspective of workers, she shows how these standardized images affect organizational structure and how front-line workers make sense of their interventions into clients' lives.

Drawing attention to the complexity of helping battered women and their children, this volume introduces a new model of `women-defined' advocacy. The model emphasizes: understanding a battered woman's perspective, including her risk analysis and safety plan; building partnerships with battered women; and systems advocacy. It seeks to craft courses of action that will enhance women's safety given their individual realities - which might include, for example, a woman deciding to remain temporarily in an abusive relationship.

As Howard Clinebell states in his forward, the problem of battered women is a "tragedy that has reached epic proportions in our society." Recognizing that it is pastors to whom abused women will often turn for help, and that their advice can be counterproductive, Rita-Lou Clark directs this important book to them. She provides a thorough and clear discussion of the problem and gives practical guidance for care, considering such topics as the crisis situation, couple counseling, and help for the abusers.

Women battering is one of the most pervasive and dangerous problems in American society. Helping abused women escape and remain free from violent relationships is the challenge the authors of this book have undertaken. They focus on the recently developed and implemented public policies, programs and intervention methods effective in the elimination of domestic violence and breaking the inter-generational cycle of abuse.