I Am Not Your Victim: Anatomy of Domestic Violence

Front Cover
SAGE Publications, Jul 1, 2013 - Psychology - 304 pages
I Am Not Your Victim vividly details the evolution of domestic violence during the 16-year marriage of author Beth Sipe. Encouraged to publish her story by her therapist and co-author, Evelyn J. Hall, Beth relates the background and events leading up to and immediately following the tragic act of desperation that ended the life of her sadistic perpetrator. Beth′s subsequent mishandling by the police, the military, a mental health professional, and the welfare system illustrates how women like Beth face further revictimization and neglect by the very systems that should provide support and assistance. Insightful commentaries written by experts in the field follow Beth′s story and deepen readers’ understanding of the causes and process of spousal abuse, why battered women stay, and the dynamic consequences of domestic violence. This updated edition includes new commentaries and an epilogue that tracks what happened to Beth in the years following the book’s publication.
 

Contents

Chapter 1 A Fine Romance
3
Chapter 2 And Baby Makes Four
15
Chapter 3 No White Picket Fence
23
Chapter 4 Lord and Master of the House
29
Chapter 5 Going Home Again
43
Chapter 6 And Baby Makes Five
49
Chapter 7 Rocky Mountain Lows
61
Chapter 8 A House in Glitter Gulch
81
Chapter 15 The Second Rainbow
189
Chapter 16 The Sun Comes Out to Stay
197
Epilogue
209
The Counselors Perspective
215
The Lawyers Perspective
223
Antomy of Domestic Violence
231
Child Exposure to Domestic Violence
237
What Does Beth Sipes Story Teach Us?
247

Chapter 9 Rolling the Dice
101
Chapter 10 A NoWin Result
121
Chapter 11 Go Directly to Jail
129
Chapter 12 Presumed Guilty
155
Chapter 13 My Cup Overflows
165
Chapter 14 The First Rainbow
179
The Physical Pain was Bad But the Mental Health Anguish was Wrose
257
Involving Boys and Men in Efforts to End Violence Against Women
263
References
273
About the Authors
283
About the Contributors
285
Copyright

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About the author (2013)

Beth Sipe is a formerly battered woman who is now a survivor. After sixteen years of abuse, she left her violent husband, only to be more severely harassed and threatened when she became independent. The mother of three adult children, she has reclaimed her identity and lives a quiet, productive life.

Evelyn J. Hall, Ph.D., was a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice for fourteen years. She served as Clinical Supervisor of the Counseling Office for Temporary Assistance for Domestic Crisis (TADC), a program dealing specifically with domestic violence. A guest speaker for various national and local groups, she taught continuing education classes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, such as Women and Violence and Families in Crisis. Dr. Hall is now retired.

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