Listening to Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach (Psychology of Women)

Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach to Advocacy, Mental Health, and Justice presents an in-depth, multidisciplinary examination of society's responses to domestic violence. Despite significant reforms in the services available to battered women since the 1970s, the book reveals how the public and private systems serving victims of domestic violence continue to fall short in meeting the needs of those seeking help.

Adopting a feminist perspective, authors Lisa Goodman and Deborah Epstein explore and critique the current available services in three distinct arenas: the domestic violence advocacy community, the mental health profession, and the justice system. In recent years, the options available to battered women have expanded dramatically. However, these reforms have come at the expense of the contextualized, women-centered focus that was once at the heart of the anti-domestic violence movement.

The authors argue that a renewed emphasis on the principles of the early feminist movement, such as listening to individual women's voices, promoting supportive communities, and facilitating economic empowerment, could result in substantial progress in efforts to protect and counsel battered women. A series of concrete recommendations for improvements in the advocacy, mental health, and justice systems are also discussed.

Researchers interested in the field of violence, gender studies, the psychology of women, mental health trauma, or family law, as well as practitioners working with the victims of intimate partner violence, will find this book to be a valuable resource in their efforts.

The book's multidisciplinary approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by battered women and the shortcomings of the current systems designed to support them. By highlighting the need to prioritize the voices and experiences of survivors, the authors make a compelling case for a more holistic, empowerment-based approach to addressing domestic violence.

The insights and recommendations presented in Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach to Advocacy, Mental Health, and Justice have the potential to inform policy, practice, and research in the field of intimate partner violence, ultimately working towards a more just and supportive system for those affected by this pervasive social issue.

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