ABSTRACT
Domestic violence is the multi-layered, painful, life-altering experience of being beaten, raped, exploited, degraded, and threatened by an intimate partner that the victim once loved and trusted, and one to whom she may still be deeply bonded and dependent upon. Nearly 25% of all women in America have experienced domestic violence at some point in their lives (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000), and for those who live in poverty the number rises to 65% (Josephson, 2005). Women who experience domestic violence are angry, ashamed, and frightened. None of them will have exactly the same story, or come away with the same scars or the same strengths. For many, the abuse does not stop; even after leaving the relationship, they may continue to be harassed or stalked by their abusive partners. In resisting racism, women of color face cultural violence daily, and those who live in poverty deal with the onslaught of community and state violence in their lives. The challenge for all these women is to become victors in the face of ongoing abuse.
