Anna’s husband threatened that if she left, he would report her to immigration. Although it was difficult to leave, she knew she had to do it for her daughter’s sake. She is now teaching her daughter about the importance of self-esteem and healthy relationships. When Theodora and her husband came to the United States, his behavior changed. He became very jealous, always questioning her whereabouts. She stayed in the relationship many years because she didn’t think she could support the children without him. Aida grew up thinking a woman must stay with her husband forever. A domestic violence shelter helped her get out of the situation and become stronger so that she would not fall back into the same cycle of violence. Grace, a victim advocate, discusses batterer tactics, why victims stay, and the importance of taking precautions when leaving a relationship.

Antonio Ramírez is the founder of the Training Center to Eradicate Masculine Intrafamily Violence. He teaches batterers to reject the aspects of their culture that accept domestic violence. Men who finish the program successfully are invited to stay on as facilitators of the program, further reinforcing what they have already learned. Luis, a former batterer, speaks candidly about his past. He admits that he used violence because he wanted total control of his partner. He entered a batterer treatment program for three years and was under an intensive probation program. Luis now works as one of Antonio’s facilitators.