Type:	Journal Article
Title:	A battered women’s movement perspective of coercive control
Other Titles:	Violence against women
Authors:	Arnold, Gretchen
Keywords:	Legal issues;Theories of violence
Year:	2009
Publisher:	Sage Publications
Citation:	15 (12), December 2009
Notes:	In Coercive Control:, Evan Stark calls on battered women’s activists to reorient their understanding of abusive relationships. Rather than being primarily about physical violence, he maintains, domestic violence is better conceptualized as men’s attempts to destroy women’s autonomy and reinstate patriarchy in intimate relationships. His analysis suggests important changes to defending battered women in court, modifications to the kinds of support services the movement provides for battered women, and changes in the laws and law enforcement regarding battering. Stark also maintains that, to end coercive control, the battered women’s movement must renew its commitment not only to ensuring the safety of individual women but also to attaining the feminist goal of substantive freedom and equality for women in both public and private life. I contend that Stark’s reframing of woman abuse is useful for battered women’s advocates and may, in some cases but not in others, lead to more effective practices in battered women’s programs. At the same time, it is likely to complicate activists’ efforts to mobilize public opinion, resources, and public policy to address the problem of woman abuse. [?2009 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. For further information, visit SAGE Publications link.]
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/13044
ISSN:	1077-8012
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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