The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact of Domestic Violence on Family Dynamics

Moving beyond the narrow clinical perspective sometimes applied to viewing the emotional and developmental risks to battered children, The Batterer as Parent: Addressing the Impact of Domestic Violence on Family Dynamics, Second Edition offers a view that takes into account the complex ways in which a batterer′s abusive and controlling behaviors are woven into the fabric of daily life. This book is a guide for therapists, child protective workers, family and juvenile court personnel, and other human service providers in addressing the complex impact that batterers—specifically, male batterers of a domestic partner when there are children in the household—have on family functioning. In addition to providing an understanding of batterers as parents and family members, the book also supplies clearly delineated approaches to such practice issues as assessing risk to children (including perpetrating incest), parenting issues in child custody and visitation evaluation, and impact on children′s therapeutic process and family functioning in child protective practice.

About the Author

Daniel Ritchie , M.S.W., has worked with military veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse and with children and adolescents experiencing a wide range of psychosocial issues including domestic violence. He has contributed to work published in Smith College Studies in Social Work .