Battered women

150 Pages·1999·27.277 MB·English

by  Louise I. Gerdes

,
Companion

Battered
W o m e n
OTHER BOOKS OF RELATED I NTEREST
OPP0SIN(; VIE\,Vl'0 J TS SERIES
Arnerica's Victirns
Child Abuse
Child Welfare
Crime and Crin1inals
Gun Control
Human Rights
lsla1n
Male/Fen1ale Roles
Pornography
Sexual Values
Sexual Violence
Violence
Working Women
C URRENT Co TROVERSIF.S SERIES
Gay Rights
Fan1ily Violence
Marriage and Divorce
Violence Against Worncn
Youth Violence
AT lSSUE SERIES
D01nestic Violence
Rape on Campus
What,~ Sexual Harassn1ent?
Battered
o m e n
Louise Gerdes, Book Editor
David L. Bender, P11blisher
Bruno Leone, Exec11ti1 e Editor
1
Bonnie Szumski, Editorial Director
Brenda Stalcup, 1\lfa11agi11g Editor
Scott Barbour, Senior Editor
I
!Contemporary Issues
I
!Companion
Green haven Press, Inc., San Diego, CA
Every effort has been 01ade to trace the owners of copyrighted
material. The articles in tl'tis volun1e n1ay have been edited for con
tent, length, and/or reading level. The titles have been changed to
enhance the editorial purpose. Those interested in locating the
original source wiU find the complete citation on the first page of
each article.
No part of this book n1ay be reproclucecl or used in any forn1 or by any
means, electrical, n1echanical, or otherwise, Including, but not lirnil
ed to, photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval
syste1n, without prior written permission fron1 the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Battered wo,nen / Louise Gerdes, book editor.
p. cm. - (Contemporary issues companion)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN l-56510-896-5 (pbk. : alk. paper). -
lSB l-56510-897-3 (lib.: alk. paper)
l. Abused wo,nen. 2. Abused wives. 3. Wife abuse. I. Gerdes,
Louise. 11. Series
H Vl 44-L 83 7 1999
362.82'92-clc21 98-27299
CIP
©1999 by Grcenhavcn Press, lnc.
P.O. Box 289009, San Diego, CA 92198-9009
Printed in the U.S.A.
CONTENTS
Foreword 7
Introduction 9
Chapter 1: The Nature of Violence Against Women
l. Two Perspectives on Don1estic Violence 15
Loretta/. Sta/ans a11rl Arthur/. L11rigio
2. Cultural Explanations for Dornestic Violence 23
Marilyn Gardner
3. Violence in Teenage Relationships 27
Christina Nifong
Chapter 2: Help for Victims of Abuse
l. The Police Response 32
Albert R. Robert~
2. Universal Screening for a Universal ProbJen1 41
Linda Poirier
3. Counseling the Victun Who Has Killed Her Abuser 49
Evelyn /. Hall
4. Erasing the Scars of Abuse 57
Jennifer Binglia,11 Hull
5. Families and Friends Must Recognize the Danger 63
Susan Brewster
Chapter 3: Legal Issues
1. Cri.minal Justice ?vfeasures 68
National .Research Co1111cil
2. Federal Protection: The Violence Against \,Vomen Act 75
Joha1111a R. Shargel
3. The Battered Woman Syndrome Defense 82
Lenore Walker
4. Why Cotuts Award Batterers Custody 87
Catherine Elton
5. Welfare Reform's Effect on Battered Women 91
/e1111ifer Go11nenna,1
6. Insurance Oiscrin1ination Against Battered Wo,nen 95
Deborah L. SIie/ton
Chapter 4: Personal Stories of Abuse and Survival
1. The Wo,nan Who Cannot Stop Crying 102
Tanwr/1 /011es
2. Is Leaving Better? 11 I
Stepha11ie Rodriguez
3. A Deadly Confrontation 114
Betl, Sipe
4. fron1 Battered wo,nan to Advocate 121
J-lnm £s troff· Marano
S. The Luckiest Day of His Life 132
Bill //Jelle
Organizations to Contact 137
Bibliography 139
Index 141
FOREWORD
In the news, on the streets, and in neighborhoods, individuals are
confronted with a variety of social problems. Such problems may
affect people directly: A young woman may struggle with depression,
suspect a friend of having bulirnia, or watch a loved one battle cancer.
And even the issues that do not directly affect her private life-such
as religious cults, domestic violence, or legalized gan1bling-still
impact the larger society in which she lives. Discovering and analyz
ing the con1plexities of issues that encompass co1nmunal and societal
reaJrns as well as the world of personal experience is a valuable educa
Lional goal in the modern world.
Effectively addressing social problerns requires fa1niliarity with a
constantly changing stream of data. Becoming welJ informed about
today's controversies is an intricate process that often involves read
ing myriad prirnary and secondary sources, analyzing political
debates, weighing various experts' opinions- even listening to first
hand accounts of those directly affected by the issue. For students and
general observers, this can be a daunting task because of the sheer vol
un1e of infonnation available in books, periodicals, on the evening
news, and on the Internet. Researching the consequences of legalized
gambling, for example, rnight entail sifting through congressional tes
timony on gambUng's societal effects, examining private studies on
Jndian gaming, perusing numerous websites devoted to lnternet bet
ting, and readjng essays written by lottery winners as well as inter
views with recovering compulsive garnb1ers. Obtaining valuable i11for-
111ation can be time-consurning-since it often requires researchers to
pore over nurnerous docun1cnts and cornrnentaries before discovering
a source relevant to their particular investigation.
Greenhaven'~ ConLernporary Issues Coa1panion series seeks to
assist this process of research by providing readers wiLh useful and
pertinent inforn1ation about today's complex issues. Each volume in
this anthology series focuses on a topic of current interest, presenting
informative and thought-provoking selections written froru a wide
variety of viewpoints. The readings selected by the editors include
such diverse sources as personal accounts and case studies, pertinent
factual and statistical articles, and relevant conunentaries and
overviews. This diversity of sources and views, found in every Con
ternporary Issues Cornpanion, offers readers a broad perspective in
one convenient volume.
In addition, each title in the Contcn1porary Issues Con1panion
series is designed especially for young adults. The selection~ included
in every volume arc chosen for their accessibility and arc expertly
edited in consideration of both lhe reading and con1prehension levels
7
8 BA-rl f.RED W OMEN
of the audience. The structure of the anthologies also enhances acces
sibility. An introductory essay places each issue in context and pro
vides helpful facts such as historical background or current statistics
and legislation that pertain to the topic. The chapters that follow
organize the material and focus on specific aspects of the book's topic.
Every essay is introduced by a brief sum1nary of its main points and
biographical information about the author. These summaries aid in
comprehension and can also serve to direc:t readers to material of
immediate interest and need. FinaUy, a comprehensive index allows
readers to efficiently scan and locate content.
The Contemporary Issues Companion series is an ideal launching
point for research on a particular topic. Each anthology in the series is
composed of readings taken from an extensive gainut of resources,
Lncluding periodicals, newspapers, books, government documents,
the publications of private and public organizations, and Internet
websites. In these volun1es, readers will find factual support suitable
for use in reports, debates, speeches, and research papers. The
anthologies also facilitate further research, featuring a book and peri
odical bibliography and a list of organizations to contact for addition
al information.
A perfect resource for both students and the general reader, Green
haven's Conte1nporary Issues Companion series is suie to be a valued
source of current, readable infonnation oo social problems that inter
est young adults. It is the editors' hope that readers will find the Con
temporary Issues Companion series useful as a starting point to for
mulate their own opinions about and answers to the co,nplex issues
of the present day.