Abuse of Power

THE clearinghouse on police-perpetrated domestic violence

...providing a needed resource for victims and advocates

Recommended Reading

See our Articles section for material published by Diane Wetendorf, Inc.

The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact of Domestic Violence on Family Dynamics (Lundy Bancroft & Jay G. Silverman)
This is by far the clearest and most insightful book to appear on domestic violence and custody issues, thoroughly grounded in both the research and the court system. —Joan Zorza

Black in Blue (Kenneth Bolton Jr. & Joe R. Feagin)
Penetrating look at the tensions within police departments as more and more black officers join what was previously an exclusive and insular workforce... compelling accounts by black officers facing ongoing hostility and racism from initial training through efforts for advancement. — Booklist

Breaking the Brass Ceiling: Women Police Chiefs and Their Paths to the Top (Dorothy Moses Schulz)
Provides a unique historical context within which to educate readers about the complexities of policing in the United States and rare insights into the lives of successful women pioneers. — Law Enforcement News

Cult of Power: Sex Discrimination in Corporate America and What Can Be Done About It (Martha Burk)
Sex discrimination—a major disruptive force in the lives of women—remains an element of corporate culture primarily because men in positions of power and control sanction its continued existence. — Raymond F. Gregory

Detective: The Inspirational Story of the Trailblazing Woman Cop Who Wouldn't Quit (Kathy Burke with Neal Hirschfeld)
Outstanding—the best police book I have ever read! It is brutally honest, provocative, and touching. This book will inspire every woman who works in any male-dominated field—not just law enforcement. — Sgt. Amy Ramsey, Ph.D.

The Hostage Child: Sex Abuse Allegations in Custody Disputes (Leora N. Rosen & Michelle Etlin)
The book highlights problems with the legal process and the current child protection system, including the anti-mother bias that frequently emerges in custody battles. — Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence

Investigating Sexual Harassment in Law Enforcement and Nontraditional Fields for Women (Penny Harrington & Kimberly Lonsway)
Written for practitioners by professionals in the field of law enforcement and victim advocacy, this text takes a conversational tone through the investigative processes of sexual harassment complaints. — Prentice Hall

Maneuvers: The International Politics of Militarizing Women's Lives (Cynthia Enloe)
Wide-ranging look at the global militarization of women's lives, whether they are soldiers or spouses... Enloe describes the evolving role of military wives, and the military's handling of rape. — Kirkus Reviews

Next Time She'll Be Dead: Battering and How to Stop It (Ann Jones)
Brings home as few others have the number of women who are battered and the virtually insuperable obstacles they face trying to combat abuse. As Jones so succinctly puts it, "battered women are battered once again by the law." — Publishers Weekly

Rural Woman Battering and the Justice System: An Ethnography (Neil Websdale)
A thorough look at the experiences of battered women in rural communities. Clearly demonstrates how rural patriarchy and the insidious “good ol' boy network” of law enforcement and local politics sustain and reproduce the subordinate, vulnerable, isolated position of rural women. — Sage Publications

Triumph of Spirit (Penny Harrington)
Penny Harrington not only smashed the glass ceiling but took on the daunting task of improving police response to domestic violence and reducing police brutality. Illustrates how one woman's spirit can triumph over the toughest of ole' boys clubs. — Eleanor Smeal

Violence in the Lives of Black Women: Battered, Black, and Blue (Carolyn M. West, Ed.)
For too long, Black women have been suffering the effects of violence in painful silence. Provides a forum where personal testimony and academic research meet to show you how living at the intersection of many kinds of oppression shapes the lives of Black women. — Routledge

When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Children Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse (Lundy Bancroft)
Sound advice to women who are abused by their partners and are concerned about the impact on their children. Without judging women in abusive situations, Bancroft emphasizes that they are in the best position to help their children heal after witnessing abuse. — Booklist

When Love Goes Wrong: What to Do When You Can't Do Anything Right (Ann Jones & Susan Schechter)
Abusive relationships are more common than many women think. A woman married to a manipulative or overly critical man is in a potentially dangerous situation. — Publishers Weekly

Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men (Lundy Bancroft)
Jargon-free analysis of the nature of abusive thinking, how abusive men manipulate their families and the legal system and whether or not they can ever be cured. — Publishers Weekly

Women in the Military: An Unfinished Revolution (Maj. Gen. Jeanne Holm, USAF Ret.)
Holm's account of how women have earned the right to be treated as "members of the first team rather than as a protected subclass" is eloquent, inspiring and richly informative. — Publishers Weekly

Do you have any recommendations?

Send us an e-mail if you've read (or written!) a book that addresses officer-involved domestic violence or the abuse of power. Also let us know if there's a particularly helpful Web site you've found.