DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS RESOURCE LIST

The Westport Public Library has developed this resource list to promote community understanding of the issues surrounding domestic violence. Please contact the Reference staff for additional information at 203-291-4840 or ref@westportlibrary.org

ORGANIZATIONS AND WEBSITES

American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence [cdv@staff.abanet.org]
www.abanet.org/domviol
The American Bar Association's web site for domestic violence issues. Legal information for both attorneys and survivors of domestic violence.  

Battered Women’s Justice Center [Office: 1-914-422-4069; Helpline: 1-914-287-0739] http://www.law.pace.edu/bwjc/
The Center’s mission is to train lawyers and prosecutors to provide better legal representation to battered women in civil and criminal proceedings; to promote research, advocacy and pro bono assistance.

The Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County [Office: 1-203-334-6154; 24-hour emergency numbers: Domestic Violence: 1-203-384-9559; Sexual Assault: 1-203-333-2233]
http://www.cwfefc.org/pro_serv.html
Offers CAVITH, Communities Against Violence in the Home, to promote a coordinated community response to domestic violence in the greater Bridgeport area.

The Children’s Connection of Fairfield County (A program of the Human Services Council)[Office: 203-849-1111]
http://www.communityplanning.org/hsc/Children.htm
Works to combat child abuse and neglect and seeks to strengthen families and communities.

Domestic Violence in Connecticut: A Guide to Resources in the Law Library [ Bridgeport Law Library: 1-203-579-7244; Stamford Law Library: 1-203-965-5250]
http://www.jud.state.ct.us/LawLib/Notebooks/Pathfinders/DomesticViolence/domviolence.htm Prepared by the Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries. Provides definitions and cites sections of Connecticut laws pertaining to restraining orders and protective orders in cases of domestic abuse.

Family Violence Prevention Fund [1-415-252-8900]
http://www.endabuse.org or http://www.fvpf.org 
This group runs education programs, provides direct services to victims, and develops public policy and training programs for policymakers and health care providers. Also addresses the legal rights of battered immigrant and refugee women. Includes the Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

Kids in Crisis [24-hour helpline: Norwalk area: 203-838-9483; Stamford area: 203-327-KIDS]
http://www.kidsincrisis.org
Protects infants, children and teens from abuse and family crisis. Offers free, round-the-clock crisis intervention, counseling and emergency shelter, prevention programs in local communities and advocacy throughout Connecticut.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence [1-800-799-SAFE]
www.ncadv.org
This non-profit membership organization serves as a referral center for victims of abuse, helps acquire funding for shelters, promotes community awareness and education programs, and sponsors conferences and training for advocates.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline [1-800-799-SAFE]
http://www.ndvh.org/
Hotline advocates are available for victims and anyone calling on their behalf to provide crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 140 languages through interpreter services.

Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence [Office: 1-800-281-1481; In-State Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-888-774-2900]
www.ctcadv.org
A statewide network of community-based programs providing shelter, support, and advocacy to battered women and their children.

Domestic Violence Crisis Center [24-hour Hotline: 1-888-774-2900]
http://www.dvccct.org
With offices in Stamford and Norwalk, this Connecticut organization provides safe, emergency housing, a 24-hour hotline, crisis intervention, and counseling.

U.S. Department of Justice – Office on Violence Against Women [1-202-307-6026]
http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw
Information, publications, detailed descriptions of federal laws and programs against domestic violence.

BOOKS  

Adults or Teens - Nonfiction

Berry , Dawn Bradley. The Domestic Violence Sourcebook. A handbook with a list of common procedures, interventions, and organizations that can help victims. A useful book for social workers and counselors working with the public.

Elliott, Laura and Fedders, Charlotte. Shattered Dreams: the Story of Charlotte Fedders. The true story of the abused wife of a prominent Washington official, and her quest to break the vicious cycle of domestic abuse.

Evans, Patricia. Verbal Abuse Survivors Speak Out: On Relationship and Recovery. Outlines healing strategies based on hundreds of real-life letters and interviews.

Fairstein, Linda A. Sexual Violence: Our War Against Rape. A realistic and gritty account of the legal process in the sex crimes prosecution unit in New York City.

Jayne, Pamela. Ditch That Jerk: Dealing with Men Who Control and Hurt Women. Shows women how to assess their partners and relationships for potential abuse, and for potential change - or not.

Jones, Ann. Next Time, She’ll be Dead: Battering and How to Stop It. A grim, well-researched primer of the damage done to women, not just by men they know but by the criminal justice system that is supposed to help them.

Lehman, Carolyn, compiler. Strong at the Heart: How it Feels to Heal from Sexual Abuse. [Teen]. Nine survivors speak with candor and courage about the abuse they experienced, how they have healed, and how they are moving forward with their lives.

NiCarthy, Ginny. Getting Free: You Can End Abuse and Take Back Your Life. A tool for battered women who want to free themselves of abusive relationships. Includes exercises designed to help recognize abuse, gain self-esteem, and define future relationships that are free of abuse.

Roleff, Tamara L ., editor. Domestic Violence: Opposing Viewpoints. [also available online on the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Go to “Research Online” at www.westportlibrary.org] A collection of articles that offer varying viewpoints on the subject of domestic violence, covering such topics as the causes of domestic violence, prevention programs, and counseling programs.

Adults or Teens - Fiction

Allison, Dorothy. Bastard out of Carolina. [also on DVD] Coming of age in '50's South Carolina, a girl fights the label “trash” and the violent advances of her stepfather, and keeps silent in order not to spoil her mother's hard-won happiness.

Coman, Carolyn.What Jamie Saw. [Teen and Children’s] Written from the viewpoint of a nine-year-old boy, this is the story of a boy and his mother running from an abusive boyfriend. Living in a trailer in conditions of poverty, Jamie and his mother ultimately succeed in reinventing their lives.

Flinn, Alexandra. Breathing Underwater. [Teen] Sent to counseling for hitting his girlfriend, Caitlin, 16-year-old Nick recounts his relationship with Caitlin, examines his controlling behavior and anger, and describes living with his abusive father.  

Hegi, Ursula. Salt Dancers. A moving account of one woman's journey back to a past filled with elusive memories and suppressed rage. The main character, Julia, returns home after 23 years to question why her mother disappeared one day without saying goodbye, and why a once loving father became a terrifying and abusive parent.

Lynch, Chris. Inexcusable. [Teen] A tale of guilt, innocence, and responsibility. When his childhood friend - and love of his life - accuses him of rape, a young man is convinced he's innocent.

Quindlen, Anna. Black and Blue: a Novel. A forceful, harrowing portrait of a woman and a marriage, capturing the profound intricacies of love and rage, passion and violence.

Children - Nonfiction

Foltz, Linda Lee. Kids Helping Kids Break the Silence of Sexual Abuse. Victimized children reveal valuable life lessons about living and healing, and how to get safe and stay away from sexual abuse.

Havelin, Kate . Family Violence: My Parents Hurt Each Other! Examines the causes of domestic violence and offers helpful coping strategies. Includes color photos of children and teens from diverse ethnic backgrounds, facts and statistics on family violence, and case studies describing different scenarios and what people have done and can do to stop family violence.

My Body is Private. In language that is clear and understandable, this book presents ways for young children to form sound judgments in distinguishing between good touching and unwanted touching.

Rench, Janice E. Family Violence: How to Recognize and Survive It. Discusses various forms of family violence, including child abuse, sibling abuse, incest, and elder abuse, and discusses how to get help as well as ways of building self-esteem.

Children - Fiction

Fritz, April Young. Praying at the Sweetwater Motel. A mother and her daughters flee Georgia to escape an abusive father. Written in the voice of the 12-year-old daughter, feelings of being torn between love and fear of her father, and between the safety of escape and fear of the unknown, are vividly described. Depicting how the family finally gets its life back on track, this novel successfully addresses problems many children face.

Howe, James. The Watcher. [also in Teen] The daughter of an abusive father watches a seemingly perfect family and a lifeguard on the beach, and projects herself into the fantasy lives she has imagined for them.

Kleven, Sandy. The Right Touch: a Read Aloud Story to Help Prevent Child Sexual Abuse. As a way of teaching her little boy about sexual abuse, a mother tells him the story of a child who was lured into the neighbor's house to see some non-existent kittens.

Roberts, Willo Davis. Don’t Hurt Laurie! Laurie is physically abused by her mother. Can she escape? Will anyone believe her story?

DVDs and VIDEOS  

Enough. [Drama, DVD] An abused woman discovers that the dream man she married wasn't the kind of person she thought he was, and flees with her daughter.

Mockingbird Don’t Sing. [Drama, VHS] Based on true events. The heartbreaking story of a 13-year-old girl who was imprisoned by her parents for 12 years, and her difficult road to joining the human race.

Radio Flyer. [Family, VHS] Two young brothers, abused by their stepfather, try to escape their chaotic family life with dreams of flying.

Skin of Man, Heart of Beast. [International/French, DVD] A troubled man reunites with his family, but soon his unstable and increasingly threatening presence revives a legacy of brutality and domestic violence.

Sleeping With the Enemy. [Mystery, VHS] The wife of a dangerously violent man fakes her death to escape from him.

Under the Skin of the City. [International/Farsi, DVD] A problematic Iranian family includes a pregnant daughter whose husband beats her regularly; a teenage son who's been getting into trouble due to his burgeoning career in radical politics; and an older son who goes to great lengths--such as attempting to sell the family's meager house--in order to get an engineering job in Japan as a means of getting out of Iran.

ARTICLES

Find current and older magazine, journal and newspaper articles in these databases, available free of charge, at www.westportlibrary.org :

Electric library

Health and Wellness Resource Center

InfoTrac OneFile

iCONN Newsstand


10/06