Based on a study of violence in lesbian relationships, this challenging book derives from a common theme expressed by the subjects - the sense of having been betrayed, first by their lovers, and subsequently by a lesbian community which tends to deny the problem when victims seek help. Renzetti skillfully addresses several central issues: consequences for victims, batterers and the community as a whole; and, what we can learn about domestic violence in general by studying violence in lesbian relationships. The research offers a fresh look at domestic violence by examining the phenomenon of women as perpetrators of intimate violence against women, at the same time making a clear distinction between battering and self defence.