A number of studies have found evidence suggesting that being a witness to violence puts a child at risk of developing social and psychological problems. However, most of these studies used populations of severely battered women and did not control for confounding with other family characteristics. This study analyzed male and female responses…

Provides an overview of current knowledge in the areas of child abuse, wife battering, and elder abuse. Points out the need to go beyond individual explanations of the problem and look to the family and larger social values and institutions for a broader perspective. (Author/JOW)

This commentary identifies critical issues regarding social interventions with families in which both child maltreatment and woman battering are suspected. Addresses several common assumptions of service providers and suggests changes in current practice. (Author)

Recent research suggests that social workers who deal with family violence are often unaware of the coexistence of both spouse abuse and child abuse within families. Implications of this research for the professional practice of service providers who deal with domestic violence and for child welfare professionals are outlined. (MDM)

Describes past perceptions of battered women's protection of their children. Examines the role of the child protection service worker in cases where an abused mother does not leave or returns to a household with an abusive male. Discusses the differences in the roles of child protection service professional and domestic violence professionals.…

Examination of the records of 37 school-age children whose mothers sought help from a battered women's shelter found that, although the symptoms of those who had witnessed their mothers' battering differed somewhat from those of the children who had been abused, the significant similarities warrant a redefinition of spousal abuse as a form of…

Compares the rate of physical abuse of children and spouses from a 1975 study with rates from a 1985 replication. The 1985 rates were substantially lower than in 1975. Possible reasons for the lower rates are examined and evaluated. (Author/ABB)

Assessed role of child gender in moderating association between husbands' aggression toward wives and parental aggression toward children with 73 mothers. Found that, in families characterized by husbands' marital aggression, boys and girls experienced similar parental aggression; however, more frequent and severe levels of husbands' marital…

This report discusses the Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Adoption and Family Services Act of 1991. Section I provides background information on child abuse, family violence, and adoption opportunities, and addresses the need for reauthorization legislation. Section II provides a list of witnesses from relevant hearings, and briefly describes the…

Family violence is a widespread problem; research has shown multiple factors are associated with family violence. Types of family violence include spouse abuse; elder abuse and neglect; child abuse and neglect; parent abuse; and sibling abuse. There are three types of spouse abuse: physical abuse, sexual violence, and psychological/emotional…

Assessed degree of placing blame on self and on partner for violence in women (N=70) who had experiences marital violence. Found characterological self-blame was shown to be most highly associated with repeated physical or sexual abuse in childhood, lack of social support, and high rate of depression once out of the relationship. (Author/ABL)

Questioned Straus and Gelles' (1986) conclusion that child and wife abuse were substantially lower in 1985 than in 1975. Refined cohort analysis to apply to data, demonstrating that changes in age structures of adult and child population explained most of reported reduction. Much remaining change may have resulted when respondents' reactions to…

Reviews literature comparing risk that battered women and men who batter will physically abuse their children. Challenges several tenets of social work practice lore and cautions practitioners about use of psychological tests and profiles to judge child abuse potential and parenting ability. Discusses hazards of mediation and joint custody and…

Investigates why some caretakers act to protect their children from domestic violence while others show passivity. Two themes emerged through interviews with 26 women victims of domestic violence who had children: adultification of children, and psychological traps involving the batterer's role in the children's lives. Intervention recommendations…

This special issue of a bilingual periodical dedicated to the investigation of women's access to education and to feminist analysis of education and learning presents a variety of stories written by women who have experienced abuse that affected their education. The issue opens with an editorial, presented in full in both French and English, by…