The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact of Domestic Violence on Family Dynamics (Sage Series on Violence Against Women)

Rating:
Summary: Abuse has no gender
Review: Although much research is biased towards the most physically dangerous abusers, the ones who beat (don't like the word batter a lot) their victims and often kill them are usually men. There is of course, a lot of abuse perpetrated by mothers on children and women upon partners. Abuse is abuse, no matter what the gender, and all abuse harms children.
Lundy Bancroft deals primarily with the behaviors, patterns and impact of abuse. When anyone becomes a hardened habitual abuser who uses his or her power to intimidate, manipulate or terrify his or her victims into submission and control: he OR she is considered an 'abuser'. When they phsically hit, break bones and kill, he OR she is a 'batterer'. I work with a domestic violence agency and we have quite a few court ordered women in our program, albeit not as many as men (90% or more of the MOST serious battering is done by men the country over). I have read much of Bancroft's work and he is on target.

Rating:
Summary: Male "victim" is obviously a perpetrator
Review: Anyone with real experience and knowledge in the realm of domestic violence can clearly see that Bancroft is on target. He is one of the few authors who truly understands the dynamics of abuse and can accurately assess those who are truly abusers ... many of whom call themselves the "victims." There are definitive signs of men who abuse, though they work so hard to hide it that they get angry when they discover their attempts don't work with Brancroft.
This book is a must have for anyone truly interested in recovering from abuse or working within the justice system to stop such abuse.

Rating:
Summary: Emperors new clothes
Review: much of this book is unfortunate propaganda that harms more individuals then it can ever help. The domestic violence movement has an ignoble history that ignores then substitutes scientific research for this manufactured advocacy research that biases truth and put all of us at risk. Though it is clear if you are in the industry, you must subscribe to the lundy bancroft schoolk of thought. Men are bad, women are innocent, and if you cannot see that truth you are too ignorant to see the emperors clothes are made from the finest silken threads, gold, and jewels.

Rating:
Summary: The best professional book I have read.
Review: This book should be a must read for all Guardian Ad Litems, Custody evaluators, Judges, Lawyers and Therapists. It explains how batterers act, why children often side with the batterer and gives an excellent guide for assessing visitation guidelines. I have only owned the book for two weeks and have already used it with three clients of mine. I am a LMFT and often work with children who have witnessed domestic violence, batterering and whose parents are fighting over custody. In reading this book I have a better understanding for the dymamics in a family with batterering. I now have research to support the things I have been recommending in regards to keeping children safe.