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Chapter 1

Round Rooms & the Reality of Woman Beating

 

Round Rooms …1

The History of Violence Against Women & Children …18

The Perplexing Behaviors of Battered Women & Other Trauma Survivors … 23

 Returning To & Defending the Batterer …23

 Panic & Anxiety …28

Self-Mutilation …28

Shame …30

Hypervigilance …30

Addictions …31

Sexualizing …32

Numbing Out …33

The Nature of Trauma & Remembering …34

 

Chapter 2

How Our Girls Become Battered Women:

The Making of a Battered Woman…37

 

The Nacirema People …41

Our People …48

The Appropriate Victim …49

Savvy Perpetrators …50

Violence, Abuse & Other Dysfunctions As Generational …58

Revictimization …59

 

Chapter 3

Why Battered Women Stay: The Keeping of a Battered Woman

 

Popular Explanations …69

Resources…70

Religion …70

Social Expectations …70

Learned Helplessness …71

Female Masochism …71

Why Battered Women Stay: Traumatic Bonding & the Development of the Stockholm Syndrome in Battered Women …73

Victim Responsibility & Examining Our Choices …76

POW …82

Implications & Necessity of the Bond…91

 

Chapter 4

Tool Box for Trauma Survivors

 &

 Those Who Love & Support Them …98

 

God …102

 Instincts …103

 Facing the Problem …107

 Getting Over It …109

 Detachment …117

 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Vicarious Trauma …122

 Panic Attacks …123

 Feelings …126

 Dissociation …129

 The “F” Word (forgiveness) …130

 Trust …133

 Why Me? …134

 Things Perpetrators Look For …139

 Helping Our Kids & Breaking the Cycle …141

Some Other Issues …143

Family & Friends …143

Children of Victims/Survivors …144

Why Children May Lie …145

 

Chapter 5

Service Providers & The System:

The Batterer’s Use of the System & Society As A Weapon …146

 

Hereinafter Referred to as Mother …158

Batterers Use of Counselors & Mediators as a Weapon …175

Victim’s Justice Center Position Statement on Forced or Court Ordered Counseling & Mediations Between Battered or Formerly Battered Women & Batterers…182

Forced Counseling & Mediations in Domestic Violence..183

Victims inability to be honest …184

Giving batterer more ammunition …185

Message that she is equally to blame for her victimization…185

Covert intimidation …185

Using intervener to abuse victim & support batterer …187

Conflict of interest …188

Some Things To Look For in Batterer’s Groups …191

Monitors …191

Giving victims a false sense of security …193

Keeping victims informed …193

Empathy considered guilt …194

Collusion of facilitators …195

Counselor/facilitator & offender bonding …197

 

Chapter 6

Common Offender Arguments, Case Problems & Intervener Mistakes …198

 

Battered woman/victim looks “crazy” …198

If someone wants to kill you, they can’t be stopped …200

Victim behavior isn’t what it should be …200

He says, she says …201

I lost control …202

Victim Stance …202

Provocation …203

Labeling the batterer …204

Labeling the victim …205

“There is no reality…” …206

The “How do you feel about that?” game …208

Mutual combat …210

Minimizing damages …211

Victim impact to teach empathy …212

Why battered women protect the batterer …216

Victim blaming …217

Emotional abuse as bad as physical abuse …218

Desperate people do desperate things …219

Depersonalization of the victim …222

Law Enforcement …223

Victim emotions …224

Lack of training …224

Unwilling to invest in case …225

Victim discredited …225

Law enforcement as abusers …226

Service Providers & Organizations for Victims …230

Political action groups …232

Victim advocates …233

 Controlling the victim …233

 inform victim of options …234

 follow the lead …234

 information, information, information …235

Briefly,

Offender Organizations & Programs

 

Correctional Facilities …236

Responsibility & Justice …236

Setting Examples …237

Refusal of Training …240

Service Providers For Offenders …242

The System…Again…245

 

Quick Reference

 

After You Have Been Traumatized…248

Some Things Perpetrators Look For…249

Position Statement on Forced Mediation or Counseling…250

Fact Sheet …251

Definitions…253

Sources Cited/Consulted…262

Index…265