Psychologists and other mental health professionals are increasingly called upon to offer expert testimony in cases in which a battered woman is pleading self-defense in the assault or homicide of her batterer. A short overview of current perspectives on the battering phenomenon is offered. The functions and purposes of psychological evaluation regarding the existence of battered woman's syndrome are delineated. Finally, the actual technique of such evaluation and the preparation for testimony are described. Such expert testimony is examined in the context of a feminist contribution to forensic psychology and to greater equity within the justice system.
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