Reviews research to document epidemic proportions of physical violence and sexual abuse in North American families. Delineates gender dimensions of the problem, with men being predominant perpetrators of sexual abuse of both boys and girls and major physical abusers in couple relationships. Presents feminist perspective for thinking about abuse…

Reviews research on family violence and sexual abuse of children in the 1980s. Examines family violence rates, intergenerational transmission of violence, effects of violence on children and women, and effectiveness of interventions. Review of child sexual abuse examines defining sexual abuse, its prevalence, research on sexual offenders and risk…

Surveys of 433 college students and 258 high school students in Appalachia revealed rates of domestic violence similar to those found nationally. However, rates of parent-to-child violence were about 10 percent higher. Among 239 Appalachian adult women, 38 percent reported having at least 1 incestuous experience during childhood. (SV)

Parents and children completed measures that assessed children's behavior problems and depression. Children had experienced abuse, witnessed spouse abuse, experienced and witnessed abuse, or experienced no domestic violence. Reports of effects of domestic violence on children varied, depending on the type of violence and the person reporting it.…

Notes that spouse-abuse families may have service needs that span fields of medical, legal, and social services; law enforcement; and employment. Provides brief overview of multiple service needs of spouse-abuse families and describes framework for developing, organizing, and implementing community-based spouse abuse protection and family…

Used survey data from 619 husbands residing in Bangkok, Thailand, to assess their use of physical force against their wives. Results provide strong support for importance of socioeconomic status, marital instability, and verbal marital conflict as predictors of Thai wife abuse. (Author/NB)

Mandatory reporting laws have created a dilemma for many mental health professionals, who must weigh confidentiality and the best interests of their client with the legal obligation to report instances of child abuse. A national survey of child protective agencies found strong support for the current mandatory reporting system and only marginal…

Reviews a major videoconferencing project concerning domestic violence as a practical means of: (1) examining the underlying assumptions used concerning project development and delivery; (2) sharing information on critical lessons learned; and (3) offering recommendations to future users who are planning to conduct similar distance learning…

Provides background to a theme volume on violence in the broader community and in the family. Discusses the incidence in various ethnic and racial groups of adolescent violence, dating violence and sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse. (Contains 32 references.) (SV)

Presents an ecological model of intervention for physical abuse based on the Lazarus and Folkman conceptualization of stress and coping. Claims that the model identifies the stages that abused women may experience in their appraisal of the abuse experience. Focuses on barriers to ending abuse, stress and coping, and effective interventions. (RJM)

Examines the relationship between partner physical victimization and a range of psychological and psychosocial functioning in a sample of couples (N=6,453). Explores whether gender interacted with factors to predict victimization. Increased levels of victimization were associated with greater levels of depression but no significant interactions…

Explores the cycle of family violence and its impact on homeless families. Once family violence sends families into homelessness, community violence prevents them from escaping. Re-envisioning shelters as centers of learning rather than emergency facilities can begin to break the cycle of violence. (SLD)

Interviews with preadolescents (n=14) and their mothers provide a detailed description of the experiences of children exposed to violence at home. Findings, which are organized into five phases, indicate potential directions for understanding and intervening with children exposed to women being battered. (SLD)

Examines domestic violence embedded within the lives of poor, white, urban middle school boys, describing observations and interviews conducted with 18 boys in their bilingual school, on neighborhood streets, and in the community center. Suggests that by not disrupting their violent attitudes and tendencies, the institutions around which their…

A survey examined the perceptions of 169 adults with low vision about their personal experiences with abuse, violence, or both. A relatively small number of respondents (56 of 35 percent) reported experiencing harm or physical abuse, but many experienced emotional abuse, and some witnessed violence in their families. (Contains extensive…