Violence in the home is the leading cause of women’s injuries and every 9 seconds a woman is assaulted and battered. These are stark statistics and it is imperative that women educate themselves about violence against women and take steps to end and prevent violent relationships. Part 1 of this book focuses on the stories of 501 women who suffered violent abuse at the hands of their boyfriends, dates, fiancés, or husbands. The eight chapters in this first section take the reader through the first signs of abuse in relationships to the point at which women get caught up within the violent relationship and live with long-term abuse. Lethal domestic violence is addressed and a step-by-step approach to an individualized safety plan is presented. The patterns of abuse in relationships are enumerated in the final chapter of the first section so that parents, clinicians, friends, and others can recognize the signs of abuse and offer assistance to the victimized woman. The authors outline a typology of a violent relationship, which was based on the study of 501 battered women. Part 2 of the book focuses on the presentation of practical guidelines and survival strategies for women who are experiencing or may experience violence relationships. A crisis intervention model is presented and guidelines are offered on how to most effectively utilize police and courts. The final chapter deals with the issue of drug-facilitated sexual assault and acquaintance rape, offering the characteristics of perpetrators, warning signals, types of drugs used, and how to reduce the risk of a drug-induced sexual assault. Glossary, appendixes, index