Best of
Abuse

2003

Predators: Pedophiles, Rapists, and Other Sex Offenders


Anna C. Salter - 2003
    "You're so right," they say: "Sexual abuse is an enormous problem, particularly for young teens. Thank God mine aren't there yet."No, sorry, says reality, the most common age at which sexual abuse begins is three."Well sure, if you have homosexuals around small children, there's a risk."No, sorry, says reality, most sexual abuse is committed by heterosexual males."Yeah, but that kind of pervert isn't living in our neighbourhood."Sorry, says reality, but that kind of pervert IS living in your neighbourhood. The Department of Justice estimates that on average, there is one child molester per square mile in the United States."Well, at least the police know who these people are."Not likely, says reality, since the average child molester victimises between 50 and 150 children before he is ever arrested (and many more after he is arrested).When all defenses against reality are taken away, some parents switch to resignation, literally resigning from responsibility: "Well, there's nothing you can do about it anyway." This misplaced fatalism actually becomes fatal for some children.Another common refrain uttered by deniers of the dangers of sexual abuse is: "Well, kids are resilient. When bad things happen, they bounce back."Absolutely not, says reality. Children do not bounce back. They adjust, they conceal, they repress, and sometimes they accept and move on, but they don't bounce back.. (From the foreword written by Gavin de Becker)

Out of the Dark


Sharon Sala - 2003
    For the fifteen years since she escaped his grasp, she has survived by living on the streets and never putting down roots. Ex-cop Luke Kelly knows his friend Sam Cochrane wants nothing more than to find his daughter, Jade, who was taken from him as a child. So Luke uses all his connections to make that happen, not knowing that by reuniting Jade with her father he is exposing her to a deadly peril.

No, Daddy, Don't!: A Father's Murderous Act of Revenge


Irene Pence - 2003
    The horrifying true story of an abusive husband who committed the ultimate act of violence and betrayal by murdering his two young daughters, as their mother helplessly listened on the telephone.

Miss America by Day


Marilyn Van Derbur - 2003
    A Colorado best seller in hardcover, new in pb.

Sugar & Spice


Keith Lee Johnson - 2003
    The revenge killings begin in the District of Columbia with the murder of the prison warden and his wife -- both found viciously beaten and brutally dismembered -- and to continue on the opposite coast where a socialite is found dead in Malibu. Baffled by the gruesome murders, Detective Phoenix Perry ends her vacation early to conduct an unauthorized investigation and embarks upon a thrilling adventure to unravel the mystery and put end to violence.Sugar & Spice is a gripping race to discover who is behind all of the murder, corruption, and revenge. It is sure to keep readers guessing up to the stunning climax. From a promising new voice in fiction, this novel will keep spines tingling and pages turning.

Verbal Abuse: Survivors Speak Out on Relationship and Recovery


Patricia Evans - 2003
    Verbal Abuse: Survivors Speak Out outlines solutions to abusive relationships, tells victims where to find shelters and support groups, and analyzes why many therapists misdiagnose problems in violent relationships.

10 Lifesaving Principles for Women in Difficult Marriages


Karla Downing - 2003
    Too often, the advice of those in the church is to love your husband, submit, pray, and wait for God to change him. If that doesn't work, she begins to wonder why God doesn't answer her prayers. This book helps women overcome their sense of powerlessness by giving them tools to improve their marriage. It examines misconceptions about Scriptures that cause confusion and even pain, helping women recover their faith that God cares for them. Women will begin to focus on what they can do to change themselves, instead of trying over and over again to change their husbands. As they learn to set boundaries with their husbands, they will protect themselves and their children from the effects of the difficult marriage. One day at a time, their lives will begin to change and heal as they apply the information, insights, and principles to their individual situation. 10 Lifesaving Principles helps women: Reexamine their ideas about certain Christian scriptures and principles (for example, submission)Develop a support system of family, friends, and other women facing the same problemsSet boundaries with their husbands to protect themselves and their children from the effects of the difficult marriageVisit Karla's website at KarlaDowning.com

Forgiving the Unforgivable


David Stoop - 2003
    But what do we do when confronted with the unforgivable-an act that shakes our moral foundations to their roots, often committed by someone trusted and loved? Murder, sexual abuse, adultery-all leave lifelong wounds and all are unforgivable trespasses that through the grace of God can be forgiven. Dr. David Stoop compassionately guides us along the course of heartfelt forgiveness, freeing us to apply the biblical teachings that have already changed thousands of lives.

Bottled Up


Jaye Murray - 2003
    Anything and everything to avoid his smug teachers, his sweet but needy little brother, his difficult home life. Now he's been busted by Principal Giraldi and given an ultimatum: either he shows up for all his classes and sees a counselor after school, or he's expelled. Pip's freaked out; not because he might get kicked out of school, but by the thought that Giraldi might call his father. Because Pip will do anything to avoid his father.

Conversations with a Pedophile: In the Interest of Our Children


Amy Hammel-Zabin - 2003
    The mind of a pedophile who confessed to sexually abusing more than one thousand boys is revealed in a series of letters to the author, a music therapist he met while incarcerated and a victim of childhood sexual abuse herself.

Surviving Aggressive People: Practical Violence Prevention Skills for the Workplace and the Street


Shawn T. Smith - 2003
    Surviving Aggressive People dissects the psychology of aggression. It exposes the subtle cues of impending violence and offers timeless methods for transforming a potential disaster into a peaceful victory. Using time-tested methods for conflict management and crisis intervention, this book offers persuasion and peacemaking skills that historically have been reserved for law enforcement, psychologists, and other professionals working the front lines of emotionally charged situations. In today's world, these skills are a must for everyone. Newly updated, with a special appendix for healthcare workers, the enduring knowledge in Surviving Aggressive People can help deter hostility before it spins out of control. It might even save your life.

Room Where I Was Born


Brian Teare - 2003
    Though the poems are borne out of the intersection of violence and sexuality, they also affirm the tenderness and compassion necessary to give consciousness and identity sufficient meaning. Its language the threshold over which the brutal crosses into the beautiful, this collection is an achievement of courage and vision.

The Boyfriend


Keith Morrisette - 2003
    Jacques was almost eighteen and gay-in spite of all the stories he'd read where he didn't fit the profile; his family wasn't loaded, he didn't drive an incredible road machine, and he was neither effeminate nor the super-jock. He didn't hate himself, and while he didn't exactly bolt out of the closet, he wasn't in a state of painful denial either. So, what did he want? Chris wanted love, but that's tough to find. But that didn't matter anyway, because everything he heard and saw told him all gay men wanted was sex-and that he knew how to find. Looking for it one night he met Jamie Levesque, and with stars in his eyes he had to change his mind... The way Chris saw it, once he had a boyfriend, everything was going to be different. Just like in the stories, life with Jamie was going to be sunshine, romance, and rainbows forever-right? Uh-huh. Right.

Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story


Lynn Tolson - 2003
    Tolson. The story begins with her suicide attempt at the age of twenty-five. In the aftermath, she commits to counseling to recover from anxiety and depression. The reader accompanies the author through therapy sessions, where the young woman reveals dysfunctional family relationships, including domestic violence, sexual abuse, and mental illness. She learns from her counselor that she'd been suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) which was the underlying cause of self-destructive behaviors, such as addictions and alcoholism. Due to the therapeutic process, the author discovers the value of life. Her story illustrates physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation. In sharing her inspirational journey, she provides readers with a message of hope. Lynn C. Tolson used the craft of creative non-fiction to write Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story. The story is non-fiction, yet the style reads like a novel. By incorporating prose and poetry, Tolson is able to hold the reader's attention during a harrowing story. Through first-person narrative, the reader sees the flashbacks, nightmares, daydreams, and memories that define the author's childhood. Privy to Tolson's intense therapy sessions, the reader discovers the ways in which the author changed her life.Author Lynn C. Tolson appeals to the reader from the first paragraph of her powerful memoir Beyond the Tears: A True Survivor's Story. Tolson uses creative non-fiction to tell her story, fascinating the reader with metaphor, prose, and poetry. Tolson tells her riveting story in first-person narrative, enabling the reader to instantly bond with her authentic voice. Readers can readily visualize the settings, plot, and characters due to the author's well-developed descriptions and dialogue. This is not an average auto-biography: the book combines story-telling with self-help, affirmations, meditations, and therapeutic concepts. Each chapter begins with a quote appropriate to the content, which gives the reader even more to contemplate. The topics challenge the reader to explore social problems within the context of family relationships. However, Tolson uses her clever wit to offer the reader occasional comic relief. Readers say that they simultaneously laughed and cried on the same page. Some readers say that reading the book literally changed their lives. Readers also say they view themselves and their families with a fresh perspective.