A Ground-breaking Book on Gender Violence

The psychology of abuse simplified. The answers every victim has been looking for.

Part 1: The Psychology of Abuse

• 5 sequential stages that systematically create an abuser 

• 9 progressive steps for a woman to surrender her power and become conditioned to accept violence 

• Signs of 6 types of abuse- physical, verbal, sexual, financial, religious, & social 

• 5 stages in the newly revised cycle of violence

• Pyramid of power tactics

• Community's role in enabling abusers

• Vital role of therapists, advocates, medical caregivers, legal representatives, and law enforcement to assist in a victim’s journey to break free

Part 2: My Fight for Freedom

• Author's own gripping personal story as a survivor of a 7 year abusive marriage 

Part 3: Voices of Indian Women

• Dynamics of abuse within Indian Hindu community 

• History of the DV movement within the larger South Asian community

• Riveting accounts of survivors in their journey to find freedom

• Overcoming the cultural taboo of divorce 

Endorsement from Lundy Bancroft

“The Power to Break Free is one of the most thorough and well-written explanations of intimate partner abuse that I have ever read. It is full of inspiration for abused women and guidance for those who assist them. And it calls to account the abusive men and those who collude with them. Additionally, it offers incisive insight into the specific challenges of confronting domestic violence in the South Asian community. A terrific addition to the domestic violence literature.”

Endorsement from Gavin D. Becker

“The subject of domestic violence remains taboo for many, and nowhere is that more true than in the Indian community. The Power to Break Free aims to shatter the embarrassment, blame, stereotypes, and pervasive myths, and its the best resource I know of for understanding India's special cultural imprint on domestic violence.”

Endorsement from Susan Weitzman, Ph.D.

“The author provides a thorough review of existing works relevant to domestic abuse, as well as an insightful look at abuse in Indian cultures, as seen within her own marriage and in the stories she shares of other victims. Similar to patterns of upscale abuse that survivors encounter making it difficult for them to get help, this book points out the need for the unheard voices in the South Asian community to speak out and get the acknowledgement and support needed to break free.”

Endorsement from Michele Weldon

“Anisha Durve has triumphed with this exceptional work that explains with heart, intelligence and specificity the arduous path for a woman trapped in abuse, especially a woman from the Indian community. I applaud her for this courageous and necessary tome and believe it is required reading for all women and men who want to further understand this dangerous and insidious crime."