Argues for two distinct forms of couple violence. Review of large-sample surveys and data gathered from women's shelters suggests that some families suffer from occasional violence by either husbands or wives (common couple violence), while other families are terrorized by systematic male violence (patriarchal terrorism). Implications are…

Uses feminist perspective and problem of wife abuse to illustrate how ideology affects social policy and direct practice models. Warns that society and social work seek to address problem by developing programs to treat victims rather than abusers. Suggests that social work recommit itself to model that focuses on person-in-environment to avoid…

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…

In this decade, the pervasiveness of wife abuse across all segments of society has become more evident to the public, leading to a redefinition of it as criminal. This social change, based on the collective response of feminists, battered women's advocates, and legislators, has altered laws on family violence in some 43 states. While new laws…

Compared 19 sexual offenders, 22 batterers, 10 violent community comparison subjects, and 21 community comparison subjects on demographic, personality, and attitudinal variables. Discriminating variables correctly classified 75 percent of participants. Hostility toward women and depression were two best discriminating variables, suggesting that…

A differentiation between two types of self-blame, behavioral and characterological, has been suggested. Behavioral self-blame is control-related and pertains to attributions made to one's behavior, while characterological self-blame is esteem-related and involves attributions made to one's character. To assess the efficacy of separating the…

This booklet, designed to sensitize people to important issues that are a result of sex role stereotyping, advocates more flexible sex roles which are appropriate to the situation. Traditional and new views of the psychology of sex roles are contrasted, and sex role stereotyping is discussed. Implications of the women's liberation movement for…

A Law Enforcement Assistance Administration grant funded this directory of services to battered women. Addresses, phone numbers, a listing of services and funding sources for shelters and other services are provided for the United States and Puerto Rico. The directory serves as a locator of services for battered women, as well as an idea resource…

Examines problem of domestic violence in Great Britain, which has a stronger feminist movement and a much lower level of stranger-to-stranger violence than does the United States. The prevalence rate of domestic violence is quite similar to that of the United States and the British system has been less progressive in its response. (LKS)

The Commission on the Status of Women section of the proceedings contains the following 8 selected papers: "Perverse Public Panoptican: Content Analysis of Male and Female Patient Images in Reproductive Health News Reports" (Marie Dick); "The Olympic Ideal: A Content Analysis of the Coverage of Olympic Women's Sports in San…