Drawing attention to the complexity of helping battered women and their children, this volume introduces a new model of `women-defined' advocacy.

The model emphasizes: understanding a battered woman's perspective, including her risk analysis and safety plan; building partnerships with battered women; and systems advocacy. It seeks to craft courses of action that will enhance women's safety given their individual realities - which might include, for example, a woman deciding to remain temporarily in an abusive relationship.