Foreword to Shattered: Six Steps from Betrayal to Recovery

by Rita Smith,

Executive Director, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Devastating emotional violence is what a person feels after being victimized by one who has betrayed.

The authors of Shattered have put together an empowering book, including firsthand accounts of what it feels like to be innocently absorbed into, survive, and escape the painful world of betrayal. There are no miracle cures for abuse and violence. The advice and counsel provided in these pages can provide a path away from the violence. It comes from those who have been there, experts who know all the ins and outs of this life-altering tragedy and how to recover and once again lead a happy, successful, and productive life.

Betrayers may think they are not doing anything wrong. Or they may think they won’t get caught, or that they can talk their way out of any given situation. If they can’t talk their way out of it, they may think the consequences will be too light to necessitate a change in their behavior. But in reality, the betrayer or abuser is solely responsible for choosing his or her actions.

The suggested steps in Shattered enable a betrayed person to break the vicious patterns of victimization. These steps are based on an individual’s core beliefs and his or her ability to build healthy self-respect and self-value; to act, not just react; to develop strategies for creating and achieving sound goals and overcoming obstacles.

There are many local domestic violence programs that provide batterer’s education or intervention services in communities across the United States. If you would like to talk to someone or find out about the domestic violence resources in your community, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, or go to www.ndvh.org.