Dangerous Exits: Escaping Abusive Relationships in Rural America

by Walter S. DeKeseredy, Martin D. Schwartz, Joseph F. Donnermeyer (Foreword)

Decade after decade, violence against women has gained more attention from scholars, policy makers, and the general public. Social scientists in particular have contributed significant empirical and theoretical understandings to this issue. Strikingly, scant attention has focused on the victimization of women who want to leave their hostile partners. This groundbreaking work challenges the perception that rural communities are safe havens from the brutality of urban living. Identifying hidden crimes of economic blackmail and psychological mistreatment, and the complex relationship between patriarchy and abuse, Walter S. DeKeseredy and Martin D. Schwartz propose concrete and effective solutions, giving voice to women who have often suffered in silence.

272 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jennifer Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read which addresses the challenges of escaping domestic abuse while living in a rural area. Crime is so frequently reported using statistics based in urban settings. Crimes and abuse and how they are perceived in rural America is drastically different than what is assumed and depicted. The lack of services available, access to only one set of services in one central area, the reliance upon automobiles and the necessity of them, the lack of public transportation, the isolation of being separated, the small town politics and the overall lack of privacy pose unique threats and challenges to domestic violence victims living in rural America. If you plan to conduct any sort of social work or community work in a small rural town considering reading this book for perspective.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well. This books is the report from an academic study done regarding sexual assaults against women who were leaving abusive relationships in rural Ohio. The book wasn't too academic; I found it highly readable, though not pleasant reading by any stretch of the imagination. The recommendations section read like a pipe dream to me, though- hey- I hope all the recommendations happen! The most compelling part, as always, was reading the womens' personal stories about the abuse they lived with and the barriers to their safety. The rural aspect of their lives added all kinds of levels of danger. It was not a cheerful book, but it is a book about a topic that deserves close attention!