This article provides an overview of restorative justice as a process and examines its relevance to women who have been victimized by physical and sexual abuse. The starting point is the justice system with its roots in adversarial, offender-oriented practices of obtaining justice. The widespread dissatisfaction by battered women and rape victims…

Although most social work professionals may expect that women who experience partner violence will sustain acute physical injuries, social workers may be less knowledgeable about the chronic health problems with which violence survivors often struggle. To inform social work practice, we reviewed and synthesized the recently published research on…

Presents case report of two children who observed their mother being murdered by their father. Notes that theories of psychosocial development and social learning guided assessment and intervention phases. Delineates behavioral and expressive therapeutic treatment strategies that helped children work through resultant anxiety and underlying grief.…

Describes findings on the use of police services by 300 women residing in a shelter, specifically those relating to victim-abuser characteristics, variables that significantly correlate with the victims' contacting the police, and general patterns of police service use by spousal abuse victims. Draws practice implications for police, social…

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…

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…

Examines transnational legal interventions instituted in response to intimate violence and assesses propriety of the criminal model. Using postmodern social work theory and practice, article promotes the idea of a more workable alternative response--a domestic violence commission that gives more power to battered women. (FC)