NCJ Number
166298
Editor(s)
O Fillieule
Date Published
1997
Length
259 pages
Annotation
Ten papers address issues pertinent to understanding and countering family violence in France.
Abstract
One paper presents 1995 crime figures for France, showing a 6.47-percent decrease in crime and delinquency from the previous year; however, since these figures are often criticized by specialists, their reliability is questionable, according to the author. Another paper considers the video recording of children's testimony, noting that this can be a means of protecting the interests of minors while guaranteeing the effectiveness of the investigation. Still, it involves a review of legal concepts. A biographical analysis of sexual abuse within the family advises that this offense has not yet received significant epidemiological assessment. Still, observation of the long-term effects of such sexual abuse on victims suggests that early treatment and therapy for victims, combined with legal action, can be effective in mitigating its consequences. Other papers focus on the public's reticence in dealing with complaints of spousal violence, the difficulties of legal intervention in a family's private life, the application of the law to family crime, and the dynamics of violence within a marriage. Remaining papers consider the role of the police in family disputes, police responsibilities in North America, and state and religion in the debate on feminine crime in Argentina (1890-1970).