It Could Happen to Anyone: Why Battered Women Stay

by Alyce D. LaViolette, Ola W. Barnett

The widely read and highly praised bestseller It Could Happen to Anyone offers a unique amalgamation of the practical clinical experience of Alyce LaViolette and the extensive research of Ola Barnett on battered women and their batterers. Fully updated and revised, this Third Edition includes a wealth of new material and case examples, while retained sections have been carefully rewritten to reflect contemporary thinking. This important text continues to provide understanding and empathy regarding the plight of battered women as they attempt to find safety. The integration of current knowledge with learning theory explains how any woman's previous life experiences along with the effects of battering might influence her to stay with her abuser. The book's content also explains how some social institutions, such as the criminal justice system, cannot be counted upon to protect her, thus making it dangerous for her to leave or stay. In extreme cases, she may even be killed. From a more optimistic viewpoint, the book describes many innovations geared to assist battered women through shelters, transitional housing, and temporary income support. This extensively revised and expanded new edition is a must read for anyone working in or training to work in a helping role for issues in domestic violence.

Genres: Nonfiction, School

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 1993

Reviews

[Rachel Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensively researched examination of all the factors involved in intimate partner (domestic) violence in the USA. Mostly focuses on heterosexual relationships in which men are the abusers, but also discusses gay and lesbian relationships and abused men. It squashes many common myths with righteous anger and statistics.

[Christina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Who in their right mind would pay for this garbage! Alyce LaViolette you should be absolutely ashamed of yourself! She is a shameless sell out unethical woman, you can't trust her opinion on domestic violence.

[Tomnmom Vb · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a review by someone else on Amazon that accurately reflects my own personal views 100%

April 5, 2013
By dodge1616
This review is from: It Could Happen To Anyone: Why Battered Women Stay (Paperback)
THANK YOU SO MUCH ALYCE LAVIOLETTE! It's so reassuring to know that I can stab someone 29 times, shoot them in their head, drag their body around their house a bit and you will testify on my behalf at my criminal trial with your expertise! I don't have to worry that I've slashed their tires not once but twice and stalked them repeatedly by peering in their windows at night, hacking into their facebook accounts, bank accounts, my space accounts and cellphone. I was so worried that I'd be in trouble when I snuck through a doggy door numerous times because I really thought someone might think I was "crossing some lines".

Thanks to you Alyce Laviolette I no longer have to worry -- you've got my back! It's very reassuring! I only wish that I would have purchased your book sooner because all those other mean boyfriends I had in the past should have been dealt with as well! How dare any man call me a psycho and tell me that I'm crazy! I knew those were abusive words but you actually confirmed it for me! Thank you for seeing that I am the true victim here!!! You've taught me and any other woman who reads your book that only men are perpetrators and if they argue, raise their voice, get mad or try to withdraw from a relationship they are abusers! If they lie and ever manipulate any situation they are perpetrating domestic violence- Even though I never lived with the man I killed, only dated him 4+ months, maintained my own job and residence apart from his and actually drove over 1000 miles on our "last date" to visit him -- of course it's still domestic violence! People like me need your voice of reasoning!

For any WOMAN who wants to attempt to get away with murder for all the reasons I've stated above, Alyce Laviolette's book will be extremely helpful to you. If you can't afford an attorney for your trial one will be appointed to you. If you can't afford Alyce LaViolette's expert testimony to assist your case, no problem, the taxpayers of your state will gladly fork out her $300.00 per hour fee. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALYCE LAVIOLETTE! Your book, values and beliefs have put a whole new face on Domestic Violence - Much Love

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike most of the reviewers here, I have actually read this book. I don't know anything about Alyce LaViolette's expert witness testimony and don't need to. This is a very useful, important book and is quite well researched and relevant. As a graduate student in psychology studying domestic violence, I have found it very useful. As a survivor of domestic violence myself, I have found it personally validating as well.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. LaViolette mentioned while testifying at the Arias trial that this book is used as a textbook at some schools, & I can see why. It reads like one. You can't really get your reading rhythm going because there are so many credits within the body of the text that it disrupts reading pleasure. They are put in parenthesis, but it doesn't remedy the constant interruptions to normal reading.

The only other complaint I have is that altho updated in 2000, the body of the work still is rather dated. But it is jam-packed with info. The Appendixes are especially informative, so I advise you not to skip over them in this book.

Unlike so many of the -I think- bogus book reports posted here, I did actually hold the book in my hands & am not using my viewing of the Arias trial as the source of my review. If I were using Ms. LaViolette's testimony from that trial as the source of my rating, I'd have given this 5***** because IMO her in-depth educating of the jury in that trial was impressive & FASCINATING. That was the reason I got the book to begin with, as I was captivated by her wealth of info & wanted to learn all I can from this EXPERT in domestic violence.

To be frank, if you want to learn about D.V., I'd recommend viewing her testimony at the Arias trial. They're on YouTube. She's a powerful speaker & unfortunately, in comparison, her book is dry facts.

[Chubsy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not buy anything from this so-called author. She is nothing but a liar and a man hater. She has no right calling herself a therapist

[Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB · Rating 1 out of 5]

The fact that the "writer" of this book claims to be a lifetime advocate for battered women..her decision to accept what will be around $50-75,000 for testifying and making a fool of herself is despicable enough..the even greater tragedy is that because of greed, there is a chance that REAL victims of battering will not be believed due to this writer's selfishness and ego..I can think of no great harm done to battered women then what is being done by this PAID shill....anyone who buys her books or pays to attend any seminar in which she is featured is putting money into the pocket of someone I consider beneath contempt

[Abigail G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real view into a challenging subject. While this book is several decades old doesn't mean the information it contains is any less real.

[Skylaer Moonstone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Her understanding of the human psyche after decades of apparently working in the field of DV psychology is abysmal.
I would go as far as saying that she has experienced personal trauma and is trying to work her own demons out through the pain and suffering of other women, not being personally attached.
Furthermore, I feel she shows an abject dislike to the physical superior physical strength of men as opposed to women and is extremely uncomfortable with this simply biological truth.
In my opinion Ms. LaViolette has gone through extreme traumatic episodes and now feel a fundamental right to form an uneducated opinion of any male which either appears threatening to her or doesn't match her superior mental picture of any male who does not seem maluable to her view of her mental picture of maculinity.
I would not recommend you take her writings to be based on any research, medical or mental reports, she does not hold any recognised mental health university diplomas.
She appears to be self driven by her own experiences and very biased by it.

[Kathy Smith]

I hope that people realise that laviolette is biased in favor of women and justified murder on the behalf of compulsive and pathological liar Jodi Arias.
This woman took the stand and lied. There is no other way to characterize her. She lied over and over in order to justify a severed neck, 29 stab wounds and a shot to the head.
Travis Alexander recieved those horrible injuries.
Nothing that laviolette says should be taken as truth.
I think laviolette had a creepy crush on arias because she lied over and over for her.
Alycie laviolette is a liar and refuses to recognise that men can be victims of violence too.
Don't waste your money or time.

[M.L. Howard · Rating 1 out of 5]

She comes across as a man-hater to me. It shows her opinion far too much. I felt the book was worthless.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a good textbook for a DV class as many of the references are severely out of date, also this book is very one sided and only has 1-2 pages dedicated to female abusers.

[Pamela Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides a lot of important information backed by legitimate research.