Battered Women: Living With the Enemy (Women Then-Women Now) - Softcover

Kosof, Anna

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0531157555 ISBN 13: 9780531157558

Publisher: Franklin Watts, 1995

Synopsis

Domestic violence is reaching epidemic proportions. How can it be stopped? How can a young woman avoid being caught in an abusive relationship? The author has interviewed women who lived with violent men-- husbands, fathers of their children, sweethearts-- and through the women's own words, we learn about such relationships. Although the extreme violence only surfaces over time, the warning signs are there from the beginning. Included in this book are attitudes and behaviors of men that can lead to future abuse. Young women who are dating can learn from the experiences of these battered women.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 9 Up?While young people probably know more about abuse than adults would care to admit, Kosof offers them an in-depth look at the psychology of battery, both from the victim's and the perpetrator's point of view, paying some attention to the history of police intervention and the effects of domestic violence on dependent children. Perhaps it is a blessing that there are no illustrations. Kosof does include a number of first-hand accounts, and while they present typical women in typical abuse situations, the descriptions are not related in graphic detail. The voyeuristic attraction of such accounts is balanced by the author's analysis and careful handling of the research findings that explain why people stay in such relationships and the psychological growth that must take place for them to leave. The resources available to victims and the frank description of the tough road ahead of them are clearly delineated, as is the message that no woman need tolerate a situation where she is physically or mentally abused. There is, unfortunately, a real need for this book.?Ruth K. MacDonald, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 7^-12. Kosof interviews a number of individuals in shelters for battered women, but her book is much more than a collection of anecdotes. Without being condescending or scornful, Kosof attempts to answer the fundamental question "Why don't they just leave?" and spends a lot of time discussing the development of abusive relationships, which often begin in an atmosphere of romance. She includes much commentary on how batterers are viewed, but whether she's giving the viewpoint of taxi drivers, friends, children of victims, or the police, she makes it clear that there's a complicated reality behind the simplistic myth. The book will be an effective discussion starter for teenage girls. A bibliography, notes, and a list of help sources are among the materials appended. Mary Harris Veeder

About this edition

• Publisher: Franklin Watts
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0531157555
• ISBN 13: 9780531157558
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 110