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Summary
Summary
A groundbreaking work by an internationally acclaimed forensic psychotherapist that looks at women who commit extreme acts of violence and cruelty and at the underlying oppression and abuse often at the heart of these crimes
Women can be murderers and child abusers. They can commit acts of extreme and sadistic brutality. And those who do, are outcasts from society and from womanhood itself. They are seen as monsters and angels of death: and must be kept at a safe distance.
Anna Motz is a renowned clinical and forensic psychologist in London and New York. Writing with candor, compassion, and a clear-eyed perspective, she explores in depth the shockingly underexamined psychological underpinnings of female violence. Far from the heartless and inhuman monsters we might believe them to be, these women are often victims of a culture of violence and emotional trauma.
Already hailed as a landmark, Motz's daring book, bursting with humanity, makes clear that women's violence is more widespread than most realize, that these acts of violence expose deeply held, centuries-old beliefs about women and their value, and that these acts demand to be taken more seriously as a distinctive societal taboo that can--and must--be brought into the light.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Female violence is often misunderstood because it counters "idealized notions of women as sources of love, nurture, and care," according to this visceral study from forensic psychotherapist Motz (coauthor of Invisible Trauma). Drawing on her therapeutic work, Motz observes that women's violent acts, ranging from child abuse to murder, were often preceded by abuse, dysfunctional relationships, or a particularly harrowing experience of motherhood, which she describes as a common "lightning rod" for "emotional pressures that can lead women to violence." Some of her patients--though not all--began to reform when provided with appropriate support. For example, Saffire, who'd endured a traumatic childhood and later abused her own sons, learned to regulate her emotions after a 14-month course of therapy, while Grace, a middle-class mother who'd purposefully induced allergic reactions in her six-year-old daughter in a case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, was eventually able to acknowledge her own pathologies and agree to restrictions protecting her children from further harm. Motz neither shies away from nor sensationalizes the grim, often shocking elements of her patients' crimes. Instead, she carefully accounts for the psychological and social forces that can drive women to violence, and in the process builds a robust case for mitigating such behavior by raising awareness of those forces and increasing support for women in and out of the justice system. This challenges and enlightens. Agent: Rebecca Wearmouth, Peters Fraser + Dunlop. (Feb.)
Kirkus Review
A forensic psychotherapist offers a series of moving case studies of female offenders. Motz, the author of Toxic Couples and The Psychology of Female Violence, has dedicated much of her 30-year career to "working with women who commit unspeakable acts of cruelty and abuse." While these offenders make up a small percentage of incarcerated people, the author notes that this type of crime "often goes underground, occurring in the private and domestic realm in ways that may never come to light." Motz devotes a chapter to each patient, holding these pathologies up to the light, such that they may be "better understood" and "opportunities for rehabilitation" can be reclaimed. She begins with Mary, a 45-year-old woman who spent half her life "detained in a secure hospital" after she set fire to her apartment upon losing custody of her infant. Mary self-harmed by burning herself, the "surest indicator of rage and a deep need for care that persisted beneath [her] inert exterior." Motz details the "cautious, painstaking," years-long therapeutic work that eventually allowed for Mary's release into the community. The first third of the book covers women who harm themselves; the second, women who harm their children; and the last section discusses those who commit violence against other adults. Motz meticulously chronicles how she came to learn that for these women, "intensely difficult life experiences," often including childhood abuse, were the context in which "violent or unstable behavior" manifested. One patient, Amber, a perpetrator of sexual offenses against children, including her own daughter, had been groomed and abused by a relative as a child. Though these crimes have likely generated tabloid headlines, Motz maintains an eloquent, scholarly, and compassionate approach to her patients, even when their actions are beyond the pale. A well-considered and sobering look at the psychology of women who commit violent crimes. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Forensic psychologist Motz (Toxic Couples, 2014) challenges society's preconceptions about violent women and how we should treat them in this thought-provoking and compassionate book. She highlights the cases of 11 patients, using her 30-plus years of experience in UK and U.S. prisons and psychiatric hospitals to illuminate these women's lives and what led them to harm themselves and those around them. "Society has no villain like a woman who kills," she writes, but our understanding of women's violence is based on ignorance and twisted by idealized notions of femininity and motherhood. The women Motz profiles are often victims themselves, playing out generational cycles of violence and neglect they experienced in their formative years. Motz brings empathy and curiosity to her work, which shines through in her writing, as well as a strong belief in the possibility of rehabilitation. This book is often raw and difficult to read, but it is worth the effort to better understand the complex reasons behind women's violence. Recommended especially to readers of true crime and forensic psychology.
Library Journal Review
Incorporating 10 case studies of women who committed acts of violence, this book chronicles the stories of trauma and psychological damage, often unacknowledged or unaddressed, that can incite people to commit (or imagine committing) acts of violence. Motz (Toxic Couples: The Psychology of Domestic Violence) draws on case histories from her experience as a clinical psychologist working in forensics and speaking with women--in prisons, hospitals, and more--diving deep into what led them to commit violent acts. This book disproves common stereotypes and examines specific stigmas and the pressures many women face. There are descriptions of trauma and self-harming behavior that some readers may find difficult to read. The book's content, however, is presented with a balance of directness and care that keeps it from being tabloidesque or exploitative. Motz also issues a call to action to change oppressive systems. VERDICT A much-needed corrective to stereotypes about the reasons behind some women's acts of violence. This title spotlights highly personal stories of trauma, while signaling the need for systemic change.--Emily Bowles
Table of Contents
| Introduction | ix |
| 1 MARY Extinguished, Aflame | 3 |
| 2 SKYE Speaking Through the Skin | 21 |
| 3 PAULA The Volcano and the Void | 38 |
| 4 SAFFIRE AND JACKIE Motherhood on Trial | 62 |
| 5 GRACE Under Cover of Care | 86 |
| 6 DOLORES Loved to Death | 107 |
| 7 AMBER Power and Perversion | 122 |
| 8 TANIA Trauma and Revenge | 151 |
| 9 MAJA Objects of Obsession | 168 |
| 10 LILLIAN Breaking Point | 186 |
| Conclusion | 209 |
| Acknowledgments | 225 |
| Notes | 229 |
| Index | 235 |