In this Book

  • Battle Cries: Black Women and Intimate Partner Abuse
  • Book
  • Hillary Potter
  • 2009
  • Published by: NYU Press
summary

Contrary to the stereotype of the “strong Black woman,” African American women are more plagued by domestic violence than any other racial group in the United States. In fact, African American women experience intimate partner violence at a rate 35% higher than white women and about two and a half times more than women of other races and ethnicities. This common portrayal can hinder black women seeking help and support simply because those on the outside don't think help is needed. Yet, as Hillary Potter argues in Battle Cries: Black Women and Intimate Partner Abuse, this stereotype often helps these African American women to resist and to verbally and physically retaliate against their abusers. Thanks to this generalization, Potter observes, black women are less inclined to label themselves as “victims” and more inclined to fight back.
Battle Cries is an eye-opening examination of African American women's experiences with intimate partner abuse, the methods used to contend with abusive mates, and the immediate and enduring consequences resulting from the maltreatment. Based on intensive interviews with 40 African American women abused by their male partners, Potter's analysis takes into account variations in their experiences based on socioeconomic class, education level, and age, and discusses the common abuses and perceptions they share. Combining her remarkable findings with black feminist thought and critical race theory, Potter offers a unique and significant window through which we can better understand this understudied though rampant social problem.

Table of Contents

restricted access Download Full Book
  1. Cover
  2. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Title Page, Copyright, Dedication
  2. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Contents
  2. p. vii
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. ix-x
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 1. Introduction: The Call
  2. pp. 1-10
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 2. Black Feminist Criminology and the Power of Narrative: “I Just Wanted to Tell My Story”
  2. pp. 11-26
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 3. Dynamic Resistance: “I’m a Strong Black Woman!”
  2. pp. 27-55
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 4. Surviving Childhood“: I Learned to Stand up for Myself ”
  2. pp. 56-80
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 5. Living Through It: “He Made Me Believe He Was Something He Wasn’t”
  2. pp. 81-114
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 6. Fighting Back: “You Want to Fight? We Gonna Fight!”
  2. pp. 115-137
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 7. Getting Out: “We Have to Pray to God and Hope Everything Works Out”
  2. pp. 138-186
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 8. Conclusion: The Response
  2. pp. 187-206
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Appendix A: Research Methods and Demographics of the Women
  2. pp. 207-225
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Appendix B: Pseudonyms and Demographic Information
  2. pp. 227-228
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Notes
  2. pp. 229-247
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Bibliography
  2. pp. 249-267
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Index
  2. pp. 269-273
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. About the Author
  2. p. 275
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
Back To Top

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless.