When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Children Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse
(Berkley Books)
This is a parenting guide for women who are with, or have left, and abusive partner. It explains how to recognize the emotional wounds your children may be carrying from being exposed to the abuser’s behavior, and how you can best help them to recover. It offers concrete guidelines on how to keep a strong relationship with your kids so that the abuser can’t turn them against you.
Childhood Experiences of Domestic Violence
(Jessica Kingsley)
Although this is a professional book, it is very readable and compassionate. McGee understands the challenges an abused mother faces. Told largely in the words of mothers and children themselves, this is the single best introduction I have found to the experiences of children exposed to an abusive man, with extensive guidance for how to effectively assist them to safety and recovery.
The Batterer As Parent: Addressing The Impact of Domestic Violence On Family Dynamics
(Sage Publications)
Although this professional book focuses on physically abusive men, the great majority of what we cover applies to verbally abusive and controlling men as well. We explain how an abusive man can affect the relationships between a mother and her children and between siblings, and how abusers may try to continue their control through the children post-separation. Abused mothers, including those involved in the family court system, report finding this book both validating and helpful.