NCJ Number
102981
Date Published
1985
Length
160 pages
Annotation
This book provides an overview of the extent, characteristics, causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of family violence, including spouse abuse, child abuse, adolescent abuse, and abuse of the elderly.
Abstract
The introduction challenges the myths that obstruct a clear understanding of family violence and defines violent and abusive behavior between intimates. An historical overview of family violence documents its persistence across the centuries, rooted largely in cultural views of children and women, discusses cross-cultural family violence patterns, and addresses contemporary attitudes in the United States that foster violence between intimates. A chapter on child abuse considers the extent of such abuse, profiles abusers and victims, and identifies the consequences of child abuse. A discussion of marital violence focuses primarily on women as victims, including courtship violence, the extent of marital violence, factors associated with wife abuse, and issues in a woman's decision about whether or not to leave an abusive relationship. 'Hidden' family violence victims considered are siblings, adolescents, parents, and the elderly. The extent and character of such abuse are examined. The remaining two chapters focus on explanatory models and theories of family violence and the prevention and treatment of family violence. 163 references, chapter discussion questions and suggested assignments, and author and subject indexes.