NCJ Number
137806
Date Published
1992
Length
179 pages
Annotation
Based on interviews with 40 women between the ages of 21 and 60, this analysis is designed to help the reader recognize verbal abuse. The underlying premise is that verbal abuse is an issue of power in which the abuse may be overt or covert, constant, and controlling.
Abstract
The first section of the book includes an evaluation and checklist to help the reader uncover unrecognized episodes of verbal abuse. Two types of power are described: Power Over which is manifested by dominance and control, and Personal Power, which is manifested by mutuality. In these stories of verbally abusive relationships, the verbal abuser and partner seem to be in different realities and unable to enter each other's world. Patterns of abuse, physical symptoms, and inner images related to verbally abusive relationships are discussed. The second half explores specific characteristics and categories of verbal abuse, describes practical steps for change and recovery, and analyzes the underlying dynamics of the verbally abusive relationship.