For Neil Websdale, a Northern Arizona University professor in criminology and criminal justice, the power of education extends far beyond the classroom. For nearly 20 years, Websdale has worked to educate students, law enforcement officials, and policy makers about better ways to prevent domestic violence. One of the key ways in which he does this is by helping to establish domestic violence review teams, which use a systematic approach for analyzing domestic violence in order to prevent future occurrences. In his work, Websdale focuses on collaboration and education: attempting to mitigate the negative effects of domestic violence requires an informed group effort.
Drawing on his ethnographic research in rural areas of Kentucky, the author of this book presents a thorough look at the experiences of battered women in rural communities. Neil Websdale demonstrates how rural patriarchy and an insidious ol' boy's network' of law enforcement and local politics sustains, reproduces and transforms the subordinate, vulnerable, isolated position of many rural women. Taking into account that traditional patterns of intervention can often put women in isolated communities at further risk, the author recommends a coordinated multi-agency approach to rural battering, spearheaded by the agencies of state feminism.
