About Batterers and Abusers

Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men Bancroft, a former codirector of Emerge, the first U.S. program for abusive men, and a 15-year veteran of work with abusive men, reminds readers that each year in this country, two to four million women are assaulted by their partners and that at least one out of three American women will be a victim of violence by a husband or boyfriend at some point in her life. His valuable resource covers early warning signs, ten abusive personality types, the abusive mentality, problems with getting help from the legal system, and the long, complex process of change. After dispelling 17 myths about abusive personalities, he sheds light on the origin of the abuser's values and beliefs, which he finds to be a better explanation of abusive behavior than reference to psychological problems. Bancroft extends his approach to problematic gay and lesbian relationships as well, making the book that much more useful and empowering. This is essential reading for those in the helping professions and highly recommended for all libraries, especially those in communities with emergency shelter programs.

The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact of Domestic Violence on Family Dynamics The Batterer as Parent takes the reader inside of homes affected by domestic violence, imparting an understanding of the atmosphere that battering men create for the children who live with them. Bancroft and Silverman show how partner abuse affects each relationship in a family, and explains how children’s emotional recovery is inextricably linked to the healing and empowerment of their mothers. The authors cover the important but often-overlooked area of the post-separation parenting behaviors of men who batter, including their use of custody litigation as a tool of abuse. Readers also are guided in evaluating change in the parenting of men who batter, assessing risk to children from unsupervised visitation, and supporting the emotional recovery of children. Although the book is written primarily for professionals, its accessible style makes it engaging and useful for abused mothers and anyone else wishing to assist children exposed to battering. Chapters cover the battering problem, power parenting, batterer's impact on the home, incest, impeding recovery, mismeasure of batterers, supporting recovery, assessing and fostering change in batterers as parents, and improving community responses to the parenting of batterers.

How to Spot a Dangerous Man Before You Get Involved What is a dangerous man? Most women would answer: one who is physically violent. But abusive behavior is often more insidious. Men who want mothers, not partners, who prey on lonely, passive women, who are mentally ill, addicted, or emotionally unavailable, or who won't go away when asked to leave all fall into this dangerous category. In this book women are encouraged to take responsibility for their own safety, are shown how to choose men wisely, and learn how not to make the same mistake twice. Thirteen chapters cover all the red flags of a dangerous man, offer stories of women's successes and failures dealing with each type, and provide safe ways to get out of a hazardous relationship. Armed with this valuable information, women have the tools they need to cultivate positive and healthy relationships with men.