I am not your victim

the long version

I Am Not Your Victim vividly details the evolution of domestic violence during the 16-year marriage of author Beth Sipe. Encouraged to publish her story by her therapist and coauthor, Evelyn J. Hall, Beth Sipe movingly and beautifully relates the background and events leading up to and immediately following her tragic act of desperation that ended the life of her sadistic perpetrator. Beth's subsequent mishandling by the police, the military, a mental health professional, and the welfare system illustrates how women like Beth face further revictimization and neglect by the very systems that should provide support and assistance. Insightful commentaries written by experts in the field follow Beth's story and deepen our understanding of the causes and processes of spousal abuse, why battered women stay, and the dynamic consequences of domestic violence.