This is a truly fascinating and captivating book. Abrahams’s writing style is accessible and engaging, drawing on research and, powerfully, the words of women who have experienced domestic violence. From the very beginning, the book includes passages that challenge stereotypes and confront stereotypical thinking about women who experience domestic violence... Highly engaging. Extremely useful. Competent and authentic, I would recommend it to anyone who works with women, whether in the community or in the workplace. I have worked with a range of groups (children, families, people with mental health problems, older people), and domestic violence is a factor in all these areas of work. This text will certainly be useful to me and, without a doubt, to many others dealing with issues of domestic violence.
Abrahams gives us a sense of how lives are destroyed and rebuilt in this captivating book, the culmination of a research project exploring the experiences of women and children in three refuges in the United Kingdom... It is an essential resource for those working in women’s refuges, as well as professionals whose work brings them into contact with victims of domestic violence. Those involved in developing and implementing public policy will also find this book enlightening.
Fascinating reading for anyone working with women and children living with and leaving domestic violence.
Women leaving an abusive relationship often experience feelings of fear, confusion, anger and frustration. The trauma caused by domestic violence leaves a lasting legacy for survivors, and it is not uncommon for women to experience feelings of loss and grief similar to those that follow a bereavement, further complicated by the impact the abuse has had on their mental health and well-being.
Supporting Women After Domestic Violence offers accessible advice on how to help women who have experienced domestic violence begin a journey towards recovery. Drawing on theory, original research and the personal experiences of women who have faced domestic violence, the book explores the complex practical and emotional support they need as they engage in the recovery process. It highlights the difficulties victims of domestic violence may face after an abusive relationship, offers action points for improving service provision, and addresses important issues in recovery, such as the value of mutual support and how women can restore a sense of normality and self-esteem. This book will be an essential resource for those working in women’s refuges, as well as social workers, counsellors, mental health professionals and many others whose work may bring them into situations where domestic violence is an issue.
