Abstract
This paper shows the extent to which the lives of battered women are controlled by their violent partners. Women are prevented by physical means or threats from seeking help from, or even having any contact with, family, friends and neighbours. Isolation is a prominent feature of their lives. Many men fail to recognize that there is a problem and they behave aggressively towards health visitors, social workers or anyone else who comes round to the home.
Nevertheless, there is evidence to suggest that when battered women begin to seek help they turn first to family, friends and neighbours, and the main purpose of this paper is to examine these informal sources of assistance. An important consideration was that 25 per cent of the women had no accessible parents, but there were other constraints which reduced the degree to which women turned to relatives and friends for help. These included feelings of shame, ideas about privacy and the need for independence, the need to protect family members, friends and neighbours from the man's violent behaviour and the unwillingness of some of those approached to become involved. Women who overcame these constraints spoke warmly of the support they received.
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