Safety Planning with Battered Women
Complex Lives/Difficult Choices
- Jill Davies - Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc. (GHLA)
- Eleanor Lyon
- Diane Monti-Catania - The Advocacy Institute, Brookfield, Connecticut
Volume:
7
February 1998 | 216 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Safety Planning with Battered Women introduces a new model of ôwoman-definedö advocacy that is designed to bridge the gap that sometimes occurs between a battered womanÆs perspective and a victim advocateÆs perception. Created to improve service delivery to women who are victims of domestic violence, this new model emphasizes placing attention on the victimÆs assessment of the risk in a violent relationship and in her decision making. Authors Jill Davies, Eleanor Lyon, and Diane Monti-Catania strive to help advocates better understand battered womenÆs decisions, including the decision to remain in an abusive relationship; to improve advocacy for victims with varying cultural backgrounds and experiences; and to provide advocates with assistance in redesigning their services, so they may better meet the needs of battered women. Since there are no quick fixes to the problems encountered in cases of domestic violence, it is vital that victims be provided with a real understanding of their options and the opportunity to implement those safety plans they deem most feasible. Safety Planning with Battered Women helps advocates tailor alternatives that will enhance the safety of battered women based on the individual realities of battered women.
This book is both enlightening and highly practical and is a must read for anyone working with domestic violence victims. By introducing a woman-defined model and offering a new approach to advocacy, Safety Planning with Battered Women will compel readers to reexamine current approaches and examine the future provision of services to domestic violence victims, making it a valuable resource for students, researchers, academics, professionals, and practitioners.
Introduction
PART ONE: UNDERSTANDING BATTERED WOMEN'S PERSPECTIVES
Creating the Image of Battered Women
Batterer-Generated Risks
Life-Generated Risks
Battered Women's Decision-Making and Safety Plans
PART TWO: BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH BATTERED WOMEN
Risk Analysis
Safety Planning with Battered Women
PART THREE: SYSTEMS ADVOCACY
Toward a Woman-Defined Advocacy Environment
Women-Defined Policy Advocacy
Conclusion