Dr. Michelle Golland: After years of working with victims of domestic violence, it's clear to me when I listen to the tapes of Mel Gibson apparently berating ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva (the mother of his child) that we are dealing with a classic domestic-violence situation.

The abuser (Mel) has lost power and control over his victim (Oksana), and he continues to verbally abuse and threaten her to regain control. In the latest tapes, he is treating Oksana as if she's only a sexual object to be exploited by him. He demeans her repeatedly and shows extreme jealousy.

These tapes reveal an out-of-control man with serious rage issues. He is an equal-opportunity bully, putting down anyone and everyone to try to make himself feel better and more powerful. He's not only racist and misogynistic; lest we forget, in 2006 he made hateful remarks about Jews to the officer who arrested him for DUI. If there was still any doubt in anybody's mind that Mel Gibson is an anti-Semite, a racist and a misogynist, I hope these recent tapes will at least put that argument to rest.

They will for everyone except Mel's few "friends," anyway -- friends like Whoopi Goldberg, who on "The View" tried to explain that she didn't think Mel was a racist because he had been around her and her children. Wake up, Whoopi: Do you think he is going to punch Oksana in front of people, or (coward that he is) would he only do it in the "privacy" of his own home? Whoopi, Mel would never use the N-word in front of you, or call his housekeeper a "wetback" to her face. He's had a well-crafted persona to maintain for far too long to be that stupid. 

Whoopi also attributed Mel's 2006 anti-Semitic rant to alcohol. These types of excuses are used by enablers to help the person who's behaving badly avoid taking responsibility for what is clearly inappropriate. My recommendation for any of Mel Gibson's friends would be to stop colluding with his vile words and actions. What he needs is an intervention focused on dealing with the underlying causes of his abusive behaviors and self-destructive lifestyle.

I have been asked, "Could Mel Gibson's alleged alcoholism be contributing to his disturbing behavior?" (as Whoopi said about his anti-Semitic rant). Let me say it clearly: Alcohol doesn't speak for someone; it simply lowers people's inhibitions and defenses so they reveal things they may have been thinking and feeling but had more control over before becoming intoxicated. My clinical opinion is that prior to the phone-call taping, Oksana had experienced high levels of verbal and physical abuse which made her believe it was necessary to record Mel's threats for her own protection.

I believe that Mel Gibson is a dangerous and unstable individual who could harm Oksana, their child or himself in a fit of rage and frustration.

Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva