Family Violence in the United States: Defining, Understanding, and Combating Abuse

Family Violence in the United States takes an ecological approach to examining violence and abuse within the context of families. Easy-to-read chapters are organized by exploring the "Scope of the Problem", definitions of key terminology, predictors, and consequences of different forms of maltreatment. Attention is paid to larger social systems that can contribute to abuse, as well as community, relationship, and individual predictors of both perpetration and victimization. Additionally, there is an emphasis on both prevention and intervention of family violence at various levels of the ecological model. Authors Denise A. Hines, Kathleen Malley-Morrison, and Leila B. Dutton help students explore what family violence is and the reasons why it happens. Their approach covers contemporary and controversial topics across the lifespan, including maltreatment of male partners by women, of parents, within sexual minority relationships, and on college campuses. This 3rd edition is filled with chapter-opening cases to prompt discussion within the classroom as well as considerations of context and application in the larger community. Rich in scholarly references and case materials, it is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals alike.

About the Author

Leila B. Dutton, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Department of the University of New Haven. She received her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at the University of Rhode Island in 2004. She spent two years as an NIMH postdoctoral research fellow at the University of New Hampshire’s Family Research Laboratory, working with Murray Straus on the International Dating Violence Study. Her research interests include stalking, partner violence, and sexual coercion. She has published her research in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence , Partner Abuse, and Journal of Social and Personal Relationships . She has written two book chapters on stalking. She is currently on the editorial board of the journal Partner Abuse . She is also the Co-Director of the University of New Haven’s Institute for Social Justice and Co-Director of UNH’s Campus Grant to Reduce Violence Against Women funded by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women.