Charles C. Thomas, Publisher, LTD Shelters for battered women and their children have been around for about thirty years now. They have spread throughout the country and have attracted both governmental and private funding to support their programs. It is undeniable that the reality of domestic violence has been thrust into the consciousness of the society by this development as well as other factors. How to start a shelter and what to do when it is in place is the aim of this book. The author has interviewed a large number of persons heading shelters and listened to staff and women and their children living in them. He offers interpretation and analysis of the information gathered to outline how to get funding and begin and the kinds of programs that are felt to be desirable. However, there is a frank recognition that there is little empirical data to show what really works and what does not. So at this stage it is primarily anecdotal accounts and personal opinions that are available. This is not necessarily a completely negative position. It is the place to begin with planning a more careful and more systematic study of what may be effective. An example is the kind of staff that is selected. It appears that most shelters do not look for highly trained and sophisticated staff members but rely upon people with some experience of domestic violence. This is somewhat akin to the AA model. At the same time, the author recommends that there be at least a few well trained and knowledgeable staff members to provide guidance to those with less training. At this point, there is not much available to suggest what a good shelter looks like. This book is a rare resource and should be useful to those concerned with shelters and what they can do. Reviewed by Ralph Underwager, Institute for Psychological Therapies.
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