Mothering Through Domestic Violence, * Lorraine Radford and Marianne Hester, * London and Philadelphia, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006, pp. 7 + 176, ISBN 1843104733, 19.99

Abstract

If domestic violence affects mothering, is our culture or the mother to blame? This short book on the plight of mothers suffering domestic violence makes for an informative and refreshing read. It aims to challenge the ‘mother blaming’ culture in which domestic violence is embedded and argues that a mother’s role should not be comprised or undermined by the abuser, the courts or current policy. Radford and Hester summarize their three main arguments in diagram entitled ‘The Three Planets’, which gives a useful visual representation of the complex dynamics between domestic violence and the ideological assumptions it entails (Planet A), child protection and welfare (Planet B) and, finally, visitation and contact (Planet C). It is accompanied by a detailed explanation of how mothers frequently ‘lose out’ in the system because they are blamed either for not protecting their children enough or for leaving the family home (even when advised by social services to do so). The fact that children suffer psychologically and perhaps physically from this is also highlighted, although the authors acknowledge that the relationship between violence and child well-being is complex, with several risk and protective factors to consider. Indeed, the book notes there is still a much work needed to investigate the impact of domestic violence on children.