Many women and men in the United States experience domestic violence or sexual assault in their lifetimes, and unfortunately our society often responds to these individuals with judgment rather than
compassion. When stories of rape or abuse appear in the media, it is all too common for people to think “She must have been asking for it” or “Why doesn’t she just leave?” These attitudes—and the lack of information and resources available—make it difficult
for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault to get the help they need.
Pages for Change addresses the lack of resources and negative attitudes towards survivors of rape and abuse by donating books on these topics to public and college libraries. We hope that by making
these books more widely available, we will make it easier for individuals experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault to find the help and information they need. We also aim to educate the public about the realities of domestic violence and sexual assault
in the hopes of reducing the stigma that victims face.
Pages for Change is a project by Middle Way House, a non-profit domestic violence program and rape crisis center in Bloomington, Indiana. Middle Way House provides emergency shelter to women and children
who have experienced domestic violence and non-residential services, including legal and personal advocacy, crisis intervention, and support groups to male and female survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Middle Way House serves residents of six
counties in south central Indiana: Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Lawrence, Greene, and Martin counties.
There are 19 public and college libraries in Middle Way House’s service area, and they are lacking important books on domestic violence and sexual assault. We developed a list of
20 key books on these topics with guidance from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s suggested reading list. The books we selected provide vital information about the tactics abusers use, why abusers behave the way they do, how to safely leave
a violent or controlling relationship, how to recover from the mental and emotional injuries of domestic violence and sexual assault, and how to support a loved one who is a survivor of domestic violence or sexual assault. These books are aimed at survivors
of physical and emotional abuse from a variety of cultural and ethnic groups as well as friends and family members who want to help them. Unfortunately, of the 19 libraries in Middle Way House’s service area, only 2 have more than 4 books from our list of
20 recommended books.
