Domestic Violence Resources

Every week, I get e-mails from teenagers -- both guys and girls -- who have read Breathing Underwater and get the uncomfortable feeling that it's about them.  If this is you, you may want to check out the links below.

National Domestic Violence Hotline:  If you want to talk, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline number, 1-800-799-SAFE.  But if you just want information, this is a really informative website with information for abusers, people being abused, and children of abused parents (for them, it has information on how and when to call 911).  It has a special link you can click on if you don't want anyone to be able to tell you visited the site from your history "trail." 

Domestic Violence Agencies:  Includes information on domestic violence agencies in every state, so you can contact someone near you for help.  If you know someone who is being abused, local agencies can often help locate safe housing for that person.

Other Books About Dating/domestic Violence

If you liked Breathing Underwater, you may also want to read

Baby Help by Marilyn Reynolds (Deals with a teenaged mother who leaves her abusive boyfriend)

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (from the girl's viewpoint)

Things Change by Patrick Jones (from both viewpoints)

Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn (about a boy whose mother is abused).

The Batterer by Dr. Donald Dutton (This is a nonfiction book about a batterer's psyche.  Dutton, a Canadian psychologist who was the state's domestic violence expert witness in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, runs a class similar to the one Nick attended in BU)