life for themselves outside the violent home in which they have been living. One of the primary restraints on women facing this situation is that they feel they have no choice, and this video will show them that they do have a number of choices--they only have to make those choices that will better their lives.
Jane is the name given to the battered woman. She faces the camera and tells her story, tells about the abuse she has suffered at the hands of her husband and about her despair at never being able to escape from the situation. She will tell of the years of abuse and of how she was encouraged by friends and relatives to seek help. She resisted until she learned about some of the programs available to women in her situation. She is now out of the violent household, and she will tell the viewer how she did it.
After this, Jane narrates to explain where we are in each scene. There follows a series of scenes as Jane goes to each of the agencies and help organizations and speaks to the representatives who are there to help women in her situation. the people she encounters are from all walks of life, all racial and ethic groups, and both sexes.
She first goes to the police. Her options are explained by the desk sergeant, telling her what could happen to her husband if she signs the complaint after he has beaten her. This is presented as if on a night when the police were called. The officer also refers her to a clinic that will help her and direct her to other agencies.
She next goes to the clinic for treatment and talks the matter over with a woman doctor who tells her she knows the scope of the problem and how difficult it is to make the decision to leave. She tells Jane she can direct her to service organizations that will help her by giving her shelter, training, and whatever else she needs to improve her life and become independent, but Jane is not ready to do this yet. She is still fearful, and though the ...