Family Violence in the United States:
Defining, Understanding, and Combating Abuse
Table of Contents
Page #
Preface and Acknowledgements i
Chapter 1: Issues in the Definition of Family Violence and Abuse 1
Definitional Issues 5
Perspectives on Maltreatment 9
The Human Rights Perspective 10
Legal/Criminal Justice Perspectives 12
Medical Perspectives 15
Social Service Perspectives 15
Need for Multidisciplinary Cooperation 16
Ecological Models of Maltreatment 18
Individual/Developmental Theories 20
Biological Theories 20
Behavioral Genetics 20
Other Biological Theories 21
Attachment Theory 23
Social Information Processing Theories 24
Social Learning Theory 24
Microsystem Level Theories 25
Systems Theory 25
Stress Theory 26
Exosystem Level Theories 27
Ecological Theories 27
Sociocultural Theories 27
Macrosystem Level Theories 28
Feminist Theory 28
Summary 29
Chapter 2: Cultural Contexts of Family Violence 31
The Contemporary Context 32
Perspectives on Corporal Punishment and Child Physical Abuse 35
Perspectives on Child Sexual Abuse 37
Perspectives on Child Neglect 40
Perspectives on Wife Abuse 40
Perspectives on Marital Rape 43
Perspectives on Husband Abuse 46
Perspectives on Elder Maltreatment 48
The Broader Ecological Context 51
Firearms 51
Media Violence and Pornography 52
Capital Punishment 55
Social and Economic Inequality 57
Summary 59
Chapter 3: Cultural Contexts: Religion 60
Religion in the United States 60
Necessary Distinctions 61
Religions as Cultural Systems 63
Controversies over the Interpretation of Texts 66
Religious Affiliation and Religious Conservatism as Risk Factors for
Family Violence 67
Child Maltreatment 67
Corporal Punishment and Child Physical Abuse 67
Psychological Maltreatment 72
Child Sexual Abuse 72
Child Neglect 74
Outcomes of Religion-Related Child Maltreatment 76
Spousal Abuse 77
Positive Roles of Religion and Religiosity 82
Affection in Conservative Protestant Childrearing 82
Protective Role of Religion and Religiosity 82
Religiosity as a Factor Reducing Spousal Abuse 84
Religiosity Protecting Against Negative Effects of Maltreatment 85
The Response of Religious Institutions to Spousal Abuse 85
Summary 89
Chapter 4: Child Physical Abuse 90
Scope of the Problem 92
Predictors and Correlates 95
Macrosystem 95
Economic Indicators 95
Cultural Values 96
Exosystem 97
Microsystem 98
Characteristics of the Victim 98
Characteristics of the Family 99
Individual/Developmental 99
Family History of Aggression 99
Psychopathology and Alcohol/Drug Abuse 100
Emotions and Cognitions 100
Other Demographic Predictors 101
Application of the Ecological Model 102
Consequences 102
Protective Factors 103
Short-term Consequences 104
Physical Injuries 104
Psychological Injuries 104
Long-term Consequences 107
Special Issue: Corporal Punishment 109
Prevention and Intervention 110
Primary Prevention 111
Secondary Prevention 111
Tertiary Prevention 114
Summary 117
Chapter 5: Child Sexual Abuse 118
Scope of the Problem 119
Predictors and Correlates 123
Macrosystem 123
Microsystem 123
Individual/Developmental 126
Consequences 128
Short-term Outcomes 130
Long-term Outcomes 130
Dissociation 132
Does CSA Even Have Negative Consequences? 134
Special Issue: Female Sexual Abuse of Children 136
Prevention and Intervention 142
Summary 145
Chapter 6: Child Neglect and Psychological Maltreatment 146
Neglect 147
Scope of the Problem 147
Special Issue: Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Drugs 151
Cocaine 151
Alcohol 152
Child Welfare Concerns for Prenatally Exposed
Infants 154
Predictors and Correlates 155
Macrosystem 155
Exosystem 156
Microsystem 158
Characteristics of the Child 158
Characteristics of the Family 158
Individual/Developmental 159
Consequences 160
Consequences of Neglect in Combination with Other
Forms of Maltreatment 161
Consequences for Neglected Children in Comparison to
Other Abused Children 163
Prevention and Intervention 164
Psychological Maltreatment 166
Scope of the Problem 166
Predictors, Correlates, and Consequences 169
Special Issue: Children Witnessing Interparental
Aggression 172
Prevention and Intervention 174
Summary 175
Chapter 7: Wife Abuse 176
Physical Maltreatment 177
Scope of them Problem 177
Predictors and Correlates 179
Macrosystem 179
Poverty 179
Attitudes 180
Power and Stress 181
Exosystem 181
Microsystem 182
Characteristics of the Victim 182
Characteristics of the Relationship 183
Individual/Developmental 184
Alcohol and Substance Abuse 184
Intergenerational Transmission 185
Other Factors 186
Consequences 187
Physical Injuries 187
Psychological Injuries 188
Battered Woman Syndrome 189
Victims of Common Couple Violence 190
Psychological Maltreatment 191
Scope of the Problem 191
Predictors and Correlates 193
Consequences 194
Sexual Abuse 195
Scope of the Problem 195
Predictors and Correlates 199
Macrosystem 199
Microsystem 200
Characteristics of the Victim 200
Characteristics of the Family and Relationship 201
Individual/Developmental 201
Consequences 201
Prevention/Intervention 203
Battered Women?s Shelters 204
Programs for Batterers 207
Couples? Therapy 211
Summary 213
Chapter 8: Husband Abuse 214
Physical Abuse 215
Scope of the Problem 215
Predictors and Correlates 219
Macrosystem and Exosystem 220
Individual/Developmental 220
Consequences 221
Physical Injuries 221
Psychological Injuries 224
Psychological Maltreatment 225
Scope of the Problem 225
Predictors and Correlates 227
Microsystem 227
Individual/Developmental 227
Consequences 228
Special Issue: Sexual Abuse of Husbands? 230
Prevention/Intervention 231
Summary 234
Chapter 9: Abuse in Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered Relationships 236
Scope of the Problem 238
National Studies 240
Rates of Intimate Violence in GLBT Samples 242
Rates of Physical and Non-Physical Aggression in
Lesbian Relationships 242
Rates of Sexual Aggression in Lesbian and Gay
Relationships 243
Comparisons of Abuse Rates in Lesbians and Gay Men 245
Intimate Violence and Transgendered Individuals 246
Special Issue: Child Abuse in GLBT Families 246
Predictors and Correlates 247
Macrosystem 247
Exosystem 251
Microsystem 252
Characteristics of the Victim 252
Lesbian Relationships 252
Gay Male Relationships 252
Characteristics of the Relationship 253
Special Issue: Mutuality of Abuse 254
Individual/Developmental 256
Family History 256
Alcohol and Substance Use/Abuse 258
Alcohol/Substance Abuse and Violence in
Lesbian Relationships 258
Personality Characteristics 259
Applying the Ecological Model 259
Consequences 260
Prevention and Intervention 262
The Social Service System Response: Shelters 262
The Criminal Justice System Response 263
The Role of Police 263
Summary 264
Chapter 10: Elder Abuse 266
Scope of the Problem 267
Spousal Elder Abuse 271
Elder Abuse by Caregiving Relatives ? Caregiver Stress
Hypothesis 272
Elder Abuse by an Adult Dependent Child ? Adult Dependent
Child Hypothesis 273
Predictors and Correlates 274
Macrosystem 274
Microsystem 275
Frailty of the Victim 275
Gender and Age of the Victim 276
Individual/Developmental 276
Special Issue: Abuse of Caretakers 277
Consequences 278
Prevention/Intervention 279
Summary 285
Chapter 11: Hidden Types of Family Violence: Abuse of Siblings, Parents,
and People with Disabilities 287
Siblings Abuse 288
Scope of the Problem 288
Physical Abuse 289
Sexual Abuse 291
Emotional Abuse 292
Predictors and Correlates 293
Physical Abuse 294
Microsystem 294
Individual/Developmental 294
Sexual Abuse 295
Microsystem 295
Individual/Developmental 295
Consequences 296
Prevention/Intervention 298
Parent Abuse 299
Scope of the Problem 299
Predictors and Correlates 301
Macrosystem 301
Microsystem 301
Characteristics of the Victim 301
Relationships with Peers 302
Family Dynamics 302
Other Types of Family Violence 302
Individual/Developmental 304
Gender 304
Age 304
Delinquent Behavior 304
Consequences 305
Adolescent Parricide 305
Who kills and how? 305
Who was killed? 306
Why did the adolescents kill? 306
What do we do with the offenders? 307
Abuse of Family Members with Disabilities 308
Scope of the Problem 308
Child Maltreatment 308
Wife Abuse 310
Elder Abuse 311
Predictors and Correlates 312
Macrosystem 313
Exosystem 314
Microsystem 314
Victim Characteristics 314
Family Characteristics 315
Consequences 315
Prevention/Intervention 315
Summary 317
Chapter 12: Responding Effectively to Family Violence 318
Responding to Child Maltreatment 320
Child Abuse Laws and CPS Procedures 320
The Processing of Child Abuse Cases 322
Child Sexual Abuse Cases in the Criminal Justice System 326
Special Issue: Interparental Violence as Child Maltreatment 329
Special Issue: Maternal Substance Abuse During Pregnancy as
Child Maltreatment 330
The Response to Wife Abuse 333
Protection Orders 335
Arrest 336
Processing Domestic Violence Cases 339
Husband Abuse and the Criminal Justice System 341
Maltreated Elders in the Criminal Justice System 345
Summary 347
References 348