The book is organized in six sections, the first of which covers a woman's decision to leave or stay with a batterer. This section addresses social and political aspects of abuse, values in marriage and the family, whether it is right to break up the family, what a woman owes herself, and reasons for leaving someone a woman loves. The second section discusses how a woman can obtain professional help from doctors, police, and prosecutors; make legal decisions; and get help from counselors. The third section deals with survival skills and includes such topics as self-help and courage, ways of minimizing isolation and loneliness, and reaching out to family and friends. The fourth section outlines what can or should be done after a woman decides to leave an abusive relationship, focusing on the first week, protection for the woman and her children, practical questions of welfare and housing, economics of single life, sexuality and romance, and coping with loneliness. The final two sections note case studies and new directions in abusive relationships (teen abuse, lesbian abuse, and emotional abuse). Activity checklists are provided to help women assess their situation, make the necessary decisions, and obtain support and assistance. 115 references.