In 2006 the Malawian Parliament passed the 'Prevention of Domestic Violence Act', providing a tool for the legal system to address a part of Gender Based Violence. Researchers at the Alan Guttmacher Institute reported in 2006 that 25% of female Malawian adolescents included in the research sample had experienced forced sex. Most of the participants stated that their boyfriends, strangers or a teacher had forced them. Although reliable data on the incidence of Gender Based Violence is scarce, there is an increasing body of knowledge indicating that it is widespread and common. Story Workshop, supported by the Dutch organization Cortaid initiated the Kamanga Zula programme to fight Gender-Based Violence. At the heart of the project is two weekly radio programmes: a serial drama and a panel discussion covering all aspects of Gender Based Violence. A media analysis was carried out and workshops were organized for student journalists, both from the Polytechnic and the Malawi Institute of Journalism. The articles in this publication were written by the participants of those workshops for a media contest, organized as a component of the Kamanga Zula project.

This book explains violent and abusive behaviour and places it in a social context. It can help readers of any age and sexual orientation to change their own behaviour and to recognise when they are being controlled. "I can honestly say that without reading this book (9 times no less ) I don't think that I would be here today, relaxed in my own home with my children that I love so much."

This book focuses on the importance of assessing risk in domestic violence cases to prevent and reduce its escalation into homicide (so called uxoricide). Spousal killers in a substantial number of cases exhibit a history of prior spousal violence: in addition to this, witnessing violence has debilitating effects on children. For this reason domestic violence is also becoming a hot political issue on the European agenda. Integrating the US and Canadian experiences with the European ones increases the book's value and broadens perspectives. Assessing the risk and adopting appropriate measures can help reduce the risk of escalation of violence. It aims at gathering contributions from experts in the field of domestic violence and victimisation to present state of the art research in the risk assessment of domestic violence cases.

There was no one she could turn to for help and support. Domestic violence being such a taboo subject for many Asians in Britain, and family honour was at stake for anyone who went outside the family for help. Kiranjit in desperation, ended killing the man who had tortured her for so long, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. This book is her story, and how a group of women got together to petition against the sentence, and ultimately succeeded in helping her.

Divorce for domestic abuse is it permitted in the Bible? Is it positively condoned? What about remarriage? Do victims of domestic abuse have no option but to endure the abuse or face condemnation by God and fellow Christians for disobeying the Bible? Is it true, as some assert, that temporary separation may be permissible but the parties must work towards reconciliation of the marriage? This book explains the scriptural dilemmas of abuse victims in regards to separation and divorce. The author examines the scriptures and scholarly research, showing how the Bible sets victims of abuse free from bondage and false guilt. Some conclusions of "Not Under Bondage" are: The Bible distinguishes between 'treacherous divorce' and 'disciplinary divorce . Disciplinary divorce is permitted by the Bible this applies in cases of abuse, adultery or desertion, where a seriously mistreated spouse divorces a seriously offending spouse. Treacherous divorce is condemned by the Bible it occurs when a spouse obtains divorce for reasons other than abuse, adultery or desertion. NOTE: the author has slightly modified her view of what church discipline should look like in cases of domestic abuse; to see her updated view, visit cryingoutforjustice.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/church-discipline-and-church-permission-for-divorce-how-my-mind-has-changed/

Spark the dragon lives happily with his parents and baby sister, Flame, until his mum and dad start fighting. When the children get injured, they have to go and live with a foster carer, who helps them understand their situation and come to terms with their problems and painful emotions.

The evangelical Christian woman whose spirit is being crushed and life possibly endangered by domestic violence is faced with a unique burden. She needs straight answers-not unrealistic expectations or cliched, stereotypical platitudes. In the book Woman Submit Christians & Domestic Violence, by Jocelyn Andersen, she will get straight answers, clear scriptural direction, and some tough challenges from one who has been there but is there no longer.

Family aggression - whether in form of physical violence or verbal abuse - has touched most of us in our lifetime. Most of us have witnessed it, experienced it, or used it at one point or another. In order for us to eliminate aggressive and abusive behaviors from relationships, we must be willing to confront our own experiences with these behaviors. Family Violence in the United States examines all types of family aggression. The book is designed to provoke readers into questioning assumptions, evaluating information, formulating hypotheses, and designing solutions to problems of family violence in the United States. Using an ecological framework, authors Denise A. Hines and Kathleen Malley-Morrison provide a thought-provoking and informative discussion not only of the most well-recognized forms of maltreatment in families, but also of less understood and more controversial issues such as husband abuse, parent abuse, and gay//lesbian abuse.Key Features: - Includes full chapters on husband abuse and abuse in gay//lesbian relationships - topics scarcely covered in other texts - Discusses "hidden forms" of family violence including wife rape, sibling abuse, parent abuse, and abuse of people with disabilities - Uses real case studies to illustrate the concepts discussed and to provoke readers to think critically about issues in family violence - Provides thought-provoking questions throughout the text to prompt readers to evaluate their own and others' notions of abuse and maltreatment - Incorporates "Special Issues" sections to highlight new, and sometimes controversial, aspects of family violence - Includes summary sections at the end of each chapter to serve as a useful study aid for students - Concludes with a discussion of how we, as a society, are currently responding to the problem of family violence in the United States. Rich in scholarly references and case materials, Family Violence in the United States is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on family violence in the fields of Family Studies, Sociology, Social Work, Women's Studies, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Counselling, and Nursing.

This new book presents analyses crucial for understanding the current situation with respect to this insidious and cowardly phenomenon.

This authoritative second edition helps those charged with curbing domestic violence assess and manage offenders and the risk of recidivism.Effectively measuring and communicating the risk of domestic assault recidivism is an essential part of curbing domestic violence. This authoritative book for psychologists, child protection workers, lawyers, and other professionals involved in assessing and managing offenders presents a comprehensive risk assessment system comprised of the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) and the Domestic Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (DVRAG). It demonstrates how to score, interpret, and communicate the results of these assessments, and how to incorporate their results into broader discussions of public policy. The appraisals have been thoroughly updated to accurately assess individuals from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, along with new coverage of female offenders alongside male offenders, making this new edition a crucial resource for ensuring victim safety, offender treatment, and criminal justice in the modern world.

This is an exciting and innovative book which provides a thorough introduction to contemporary social theory by examining the way in which the widespread existence of violence against women is explored. A wide range of theories from liberalism to evolutionary psychology are considered culminating in the development of a distinctive feminist realist position. The theories discussed are tested against a large-scale survey, the findings of which challenge many conventional wisdoms as to the patterning of violence in contemporary society.

This is probably one of the most important book on domestic violence to be published in Britain in the last several years. What Works in Reducing Domestic Violence? presents a wealth of information on domestic violence and the strategies which have proved effective for dealing with it. The book is outstanding for in the quality and number of its contributors, all of whom are well-known and respected in the field. The book is written to be accessible to practitioners, academics and any one engaged in multi-agency work in this area.Focusing on how to improve agency responses to women?s needs, the chapters draw on a wide range of evaluations carried out internationally and on feedback from women themselves. Subjects covered include:? housing needs; ?health services; the criminal justice response; ?children?s needs; multi-agency working; perpetrators;? civil remedies; ?outreach and advocacy. The book also examines what is known about the risks of domestic violence and its costs, and makes the case for targeted interventions which will ultimately save both lives and money. The bibliography offers a most helpful listing of recent work in this field. This book has its origins in work commissioned in 1999 by the Home Office of England and Wales under its Crime Reduction Programme Violence against Women Initiative. Summaries of the work in each area were published as a Crime Reduction Programme Briefing Note which proved to be one of the most popular collections that the Home Office ever issued. The reports, now available in this book, represent the views of the authors, and should not be taken to be Home Office or Government policy. However, they amount to a comprehensive guide- which any professional in this field will want to have always to hand. Contents Women survivors? views on domestic violence services Audrey Mullender and Gill Hague Meeting the needs of children who live with domestic violence Audrey Mullender Dealing with perpetrators Audrey Mullender and Sheila Burton What role can the Health services play? Leslie L Davidson, Valerie King, Jo Garcia, Sally Marchant Effective policing of domestic violence Jalna Hanmer and Sue Griffiths Accommodation provision for households experiencing domestic violence Debra Levison & Nicola HarwinDomestic violence and harassment: An assessment of the civil remedies Susan Edwards New directions in prosecuting domestic violence Susan Edwards Supporting women and children in their communities: Outreach and advocacy approaches to domestic violence Liz Kelly and Cathy Humphreys Multi-agency initiatives as a response to domestic violence Gill Hague Assessing and managing the risk of domestic violence Sylvia Walby and Andrew Myhill Monitoring costs and evaluating needs Debbie Crisp and Betsy Stanko Julie Taylor-Browne was a Principal Research Officer the Home Office, responsible for the Crime Reduction Programme?s Violence against Women Initiative.

This is an exciting and innovative book which provides a thorough introduction to contemporary social theory by examining the way in which the widespread existence of violence against women is explored. A wide range of theories from liberalism to evolutionary psychology are considered culminating in the development of a distinctive feminist realist position. The theories discussed are tested against a large-scale survey, the findings of which challenge many conventional wisdoms as to the patterning of violence in contemporary society.

Skillfully interweaving Bernice's own eloquent words about her harrowing abuse with descriptions of other women's similar experiences and a rich synthesis of statistical findings, Jody Raphael demonstrates convincingly that domestic violence and dependence on public assistance are intricately linked. In a work that is sure to stir controversy, she challenges traditional views and stereotypes (conservative and liberal) about welfare recipients, arguing that many poor women are neither lazy nor paralyzed by a "culture of poverty," but instead are trapped by their batterers.
Bernice's ordeals at the hands of her abusive partner -- brutal beatings, violent rapes, threats on her life, stalking, blocked access to birth control, and sabotage of efforts to find a job -- resonate throughout the work. The experiences she relates provide crucial insights into the welfare system and illuminate its failures, successes, and potential in helping women like her.
This disquieting yet inspiring book puts a human face on the heated public policy debate over welfare reform. Above all, it is Bernice's life story and, through her voice, the story of countless other battered women who are isolated in poverty and welfare by the power and control of their abusers.

This comprehensive book is a critical introduction to the theoretical and practical issues involved in working with children and families. It sheds light on different perspectives, forms of practice, and dimensions of policy, with a focus on the practical issues of concern to professionals working with children in a range of settings.

Interagency working on domestic violence has progressed much in recent years, with the introduction of domestic violence units and formal multi-agency arrangements involving the police, local authorities and specialist non-statutory organisations. Innovative work in the United Kingdom is paralleled by developments elsewhere. This book considers the policy implications of interagency approaches. It examines some of the theoretical concepts that underlie this work and brings together evaluations of innovative projects and examples of good interagency practice. The chapters are not all written from the same perspective. Some are more guarded or more critical of the approach than others. We hope that the book will offer to its readers information that will enable them to make their own assessments. Contents include: Multi-Agency Responses: A Dynamic Way Forward or a Face-Saver and Talking Shop Gill Hague, Research Fellow, Domestic Violence Research Group, University of Bristol . A Perspective from Women's Aid Nicola Harwin, National Co-Ordinator, Women's Aid Federation of England. . Domestic Violence and Interagency Child Protection Work Thangam Debbonaire, former National Children's Officer, Women's Aid Federation of England . The Multi-Agency Approach: A Panacea or Obstacle to Women's Struggles for Freedom from Violence? Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters . Feminist Reflections on Interagency Forums and the Concept of Partnership Liz Kelly, Director, Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit, University of North London . Equalities Issues in Multi-Agency Work Gill Hague, Charlene Henry, Chair, Derby Domestic Violence Action Group and Ann Webster, Equalities Officer, Derby City Council . Interagency Developments on Domestic Violence in Hammersmith and Fulham Robyn Holder, former Community Safety Officer, Hammersmith and Fulham . Leeds Interagency Project (Women and Violence) Andrea Tara-Chand, Manager Leeds Interagency Project . Reaching Joint Agreement on Domestic Violence Policies Annie Moelwyn-Hughes, former Co-Ordinator of Central Scotland M/A Project . Duluth: A Co-Ordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence Ellen Pence, National Training Project, Duluth, Minnesota and Martha McMahon, University of Victoria . Housing Agencies, Domestic Violence and Inter-Agency Work Ellen Malos, Research Fellow, Domestic Violence Research Group, University of Bristol . Policing Domestic Violence and Interagency Work Sharon Grace, Crime and Criminal Justice Unit, Research and Statistics Directorate, Home Office . The Probation Perspective A E Stelman, B Johnson, S Hanley and J Geraghty, Domestic Violence Working Group, Association of Chief Officers of Probation . Social Services Response to Domestic Violence Audrey Mullender, Professor of Social Work, University of Warwick . Education and Domestic Violence Davina James-Hanman, Co-Ordinator, Greater London Domestic Violence Project Nicola Harwin is National Coordinator, Women's Aid Federation of England, Gill Hague and Ellen Malos are Research Fellows, Domestic Violence Research Group, University of Bristol.

Violence against women has been a focus of transnational advocacy networks since the early 1980s, and the United Nations has, in intervening years, passed a series of resolutions to condemn, prevent, investigate, and punish this violence. Member states have committed to implementing this agenda. Yet, despite this buy-in at the global level, implementation at the domestic level remains uneven. Scholars have found that states are more likely to translate global standards into national laws when pressured by women's movements and international organizations. However, a dearth of research on the implementation - at the national and street-levels - of these international women's rights norms hampers an understanding of what happens after states pass laws. In Africa, where most states have not prioritized the prevention of violence against women, and the majority of perpetrators act with impunity, there is a major implementation gap. This gap is acute in some post-conflict countries on the continent. Thus, despite the presence of laws on various forms of violence against women in most African countries, justice remains inaccessible to most victims. In Global Norms and Local Action, Peace A. Medie studies the domestic implementation of international norms by examining how and why two post-conflict states in Africa, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, have differed in their responses to rape and domestic violence. Specifically, she looks at the roles of the United Nations and women's movements in the establishment of specialized criminal justice sector agencies, and the referral of cases for prosecution. She argues that variation in implementation in Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire can be explained by the levels of international and domestic pressures that states face and by the favorability of domestic political and institutional conditions. Medie's study is based on interviews with over 300 policymakers, bureaucrats, staff at the UN and NGOs, police officers, and survivors of domestic violence and rape - an unprecedented depth of research into women's rights and gender violence norm implementation in post-conflict countries. Furthermore, through her interviews with survivors of violence, Medie explains not only how states implement anti-rape and anti-domestic violence norms, but also how women experience and are affected by these norms. She draws on this research to recommend that states adopt a holistic approach to addressing violence against women.

The new South African government has pledged to ensure women a full and equal role in every aspect of the economy and society. Yet, according to the Human Rights Watch, South African women continue to face extraordinarily high levels of violence which prevent them from enjoying the rights. Victims o

"Women at Risk brilliantly recasts the debate about violence against women and makes a major contribution to feminist thinking about women's health. Practitioners and theorists who want to understand women's health issues from a stunning new perspective must read this book." --Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D., President, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Washington, DC "Women at Risk is a unique and important blend of research, practice, and advocacy. This volume makes a significant contribution to the health care profession's understanding of violence against women. This is a long-awaited book by two major scholars and practitioners in the field of violence against women." --Richard J. Gelles, Ph.D., Director, Family Violence Research Program, University of Rhode Island "Women at Risk is a thought-provoking investigation of the violence that may bring women to emergency departments with injuries or suicide attempts. It challenges assumptions that patriarchy causes violence against women and that women are passive victims. And it dares to acknowledge violence by women. It goes beyond a plea for awareness of violence and outlines steps that hospital staff can follow to identify, care for, and advocate for battered women. Evan Stark and Anne Flitcraft strongly affirm the status of wife assault as a public health issue." --N. Zoe Hilton, Ph.D., Mental Health Center of Penetanguishene, Ontario Filled with groundbreaking research, Women at Risk challenges current explanations of domestic violence and argues that reframing health in terms of coercion and violence is key to the prevention of some of women's most vexing problems. Presenting major findings of studies conducted over 15 years, authors Evan Stark and Anne Flitcraft maintain that the medical, psychiatric, and behavioral problems exhibited by battered women stem from a so-called "dual trauma," in which the coercive strategies used by their partners converge with discriminatory institutional practices. This timely volume explores the theoretical perspectives as well as health consequences of woman abuse and considers clinical interventions to reduce the incidence of homicide, child abuse, substance abuse, and female suicide attempts associated with battering. In addition, the authors progressively promote the notion of "shelter" not as a facility or service, but as a political space to be opened within families, communities, and the economy--a space where toleration for male coercion ends. Medical professionals, mental health practitioners, social workers, and researchers, as well as advanced students in health, psychology, or the social sciences, will find this compelling volume a thorough resource.

A practical book for both those who work with abusive men and those who work with battered women, Confronting Abusive Beliefs presents a unique model for exploring and changing attitudes that influence abusiveness. Use this proactive program to encourage men to challenge and alter entrenched beliefs about the roles of men and women in male-female relationships. Through interactional sessions, this book cultivates an awareness that helps men change abusive behaviors and attitudes. Accessible session-by-session outlines and handouts bolstered by a sound theoretical basis create a comprehensive package for group leaders, new and established practitioners, and advanced students. Sessions address issues such as expressed emotions, recurring thoughts, communication patterns, and conflict resolution and the belief systems that sustain them. An important contribution to the literature on abuse intervention and prevention, Confronting Abusive Beliefs provides a model for developing respectful relationships that plays an integral role in the therapeutic processes of abusive men. "Mary Nomme Russell presents a solid framework for looking at batterers' treatment with a conceptually sound and interesting premise." --Alyce D. LaViolette, Alternatives Counseling Associates, Long Beach, California "What with the courts requiring treatment as a condition of parole for abusive men this becomes an important text." --Ron MacIssac, review in What's Happening?, Victoria, B.C.