STATEMENT BY SALEEM A SHAH, PHD, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH, FEBRUARY 14, 1978, (FROM RESEARCH INTO VIOLENT BEHAVIOR - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, 1978 SEE NCJ-56298)

• NCJ Number: 56299
• Author(s): S A SHAH
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: US Congress
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH'S CENTER FOR STUDIES OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY, ACCORDING TO 1978 CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY, SPENT APPROXIMATELY $5 MILLION AND CONDUCTED MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES INTO VIOLENCE.

Abstract

THERE IS THE NEED TO STUDY THE PHENOMENON OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS A SUBCATEGORY OF THE BROADER PHENOMENON OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, AND AS A BROADER CATEGORY OF ALL THE FACTORS THAT FACILITATE VIOLENCE IN OUR SOCIETY. SUCH AN APPROACH IS REQUIRED SINCE IT IS UNLIKELY THAT BASIC LAWS OF BEHAVIOR WOULD MARKEDLY CHANGE OR BE CHANGED AS A FUNCTION OF THE SETTING AND CONTEXT OF THE BEHAVIOR. ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE IN TERMS OF THE UNIQUE CONTEXT OF THE FAMILY WHICH MAY BE CONDUCIVE TO VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. GIVEN THE INTIMACY, PRIVACY, CLOSENESS, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SUSTAINED CONFLICT, AND ALSO THE INABILITY TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT THROUGH OTHER MEANS, IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE, THAT THE FAMILY HAS ITS SHARE OF VIOLENCE. THESE STUDIES CAN BEST BE CONDUCTED FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE WHICH INCORPORATES THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND EMPIRICAL LEGAL STUDIES. ONE BIG CONCERN OF THE CENTER, IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH RESEARCH FINDINGS GET TRANSLATED INTO GUIDELINES FOR RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROGRAMS. THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS OF TRYING TO REPLICATE, EVALUATE, AND TO CAREFULLY TEST INTERVENTION PROGRAMS BEFORE BROAD SERVICE PROGRAMS ARE LAUNCHED. (KCP)