NCJ Number
56303
Date Published
1978
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER CONTENDS THAT CHILD ABUSE AND BATTERED WOMEN REPRESENT ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE PROBLEM OF FAMILY VIOLENCE. EXAMINATION OF THE PROBLEM'S EXTENSIVENESS MAY LEAD TO EFFECTIVE SOCIETAL RESPONSES.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE FOCUS ON BATTERED HUSBANDS, DATA FROM SMALL EXPLORATORY STUDIES PROVIDE SOME INSIGHTS ON THE EXTENSIVENESS OF THIS ASPECT OF FAMILY VIOLENCE. OVER THREE PERCENT OF 600 HUSBANDS IN MANDATORY CONCILIATION INTERVIEWS LISTED PHYSICAL ABUSE BY THEIR WIFE AS A REASON FOR THE DIVORCE ACTION (LEVINGER, 1966). ALSO DATA ON HUSBAND-WIFE HOMICIDE SHOW AN IDENTICAL PERCENTAGE OF WIVES AND HUSBANDS WERE VICTIMS. PROBABLY THE FORM OF FAMILY VIOLENCE CONSIDERED TO BE MOST NORMAL IS VIOLENCE THAT OCCURS BETWEEN SIBLINGS. YET, THE DATA SUGGEST THAT WE TOLERATE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF EXTREMELY VIOLENT ACTS BETWEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS. IN ONE NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE STUDY OF 733 FAMILIES, 75 PERCENT OF THE FAMILIES REPORTED SIBLING VIOLENCE (STRAUS, GELLES, STEINMETZ, 1977). SOCIETY IS JUST BEGINNING TO BECOME AWARE OF THE BATTERED ELDERLY PARENTS. THIS WILL BECOME A FOCUS OF SOCIETAL CONCERN IN THE 1980'S AS ESCALATING CONFLICT BETWEEN THE NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY PARENTS AND THE GOALS OF THEIR CHILDREN RESULT IN INCREASED USE OF VIOLENCE. THESE NEGLECTED FORMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE ARE MOST DIFFICULT TO ADDRESS BECAUSE OF SOCIETAL PRESSURES ON THE VICTIMS TO REMAIN SILENT. HOWEVER, SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF FAMILY VIOLENCE MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THESE TYPES OF VIOLENCE IF EFFECTIVE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS ARE TO BE DEVELOPED. STATISTICAL TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)