Family Violence

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, you should be able to discuss the following concepts:

  1. The various difficulties in defining family violence.
  2. The problems inherent in attempting to measure the extent of family violence.
  3. The National Family Violence Surveys and other methods of measuring family violence.
  4. The various theories of family violence.
  5. The cycle of violence and the Cycle of Violence Theory.
  6. How violence in the home can cause later aggression.
  7. The magnitude of physical child abuse.
  8. The abusers and the victims of physical child abuse The indicators of physical child abuse.
  9. The dating of bruises by their color and shape.
  10. The different types of immersion burns and how they are caused.
  11. The various types of pattern burns.
  12. The medical terms for the various bones within the body.
  13. The types of fractures and why they indicate physical child abuse.
  14. The head and internal injuries children receive and how they are caused.
  15. The definition of child sexual abuse and the various types of activities that are included within the definition.
  16. The characteristics of both the abuser and the abused.
  17. Behavioral, physical, and medical indicators of child sexual abuse.
  18. The taboo of incest.
  19. The distinction between child neglect and physical child abuse.
  20. The various physical and emotional indicators of child neglect.
  21. Failure to thrive as a form of neglect.
  22. The difference between physical neglect and emotional neglect.
  23. The various types of acts or omissions that constitute emotional neglect.
  24. Other types of neglect that threaten the welfare of children.
  25. The nature and extent of sibling abuse.
  26. Why children abuse their siblings.
  27. Society’s response to the abuse of a sibling by a parent.
  28. The rationale for removing a child from the home when a sibling has been abused.
  29. The arguments in favor.
  30. The development of Satanic beliefs.
  31. The various symbols used by Satanic cults.
  32. Satanic worship and ritualistic abuse.
  33. The various types of ritualistic abuse.
  34. Victims who have been physically or sexually abused and survivors of ritualistic abuse.
  35. The consequences of ritualistic abuse.
  36. The objectives of child abuse reporting laws.
  37. The issues of confidentiality and when there are exceptions to this privilege.
  38. The techniques for proper interviewing of children.
  39. The basic evidentiary rules and procedures involved in a court hearing.
  40. The differences between a civil and a criminal hearing.
  41. The rights of children and parents in the legal process.
  42. The nature and extent of spousal abuse.
  43. The different theories of spousal abuse.
  44. The different types of spousal abuse.
  45. Why battered spouses stay with their abusers.
  46. Self-defense as it applies to spousal homicide.
  47. Why it is necessary to use an expert witness in spousal homicide cases.
  48. The risk factors associated with individuals who commit spousal assault Saunders’s typology of aggressors.
  49. The social forces that affected traditional police response to spousal assault.
  50. The theories that were tested in the Minneapolis experiment and other replications involving arrest of offenders.
  51. The advantages and disadvantages of the existing and proposed alternatives to arresting the perpetrator of spousal abuse.
  52. The advantages and disadvantages of temporary restraining orders.
  53. The process of prosecuting spousal assault cases.
  54. The nature and extent of elder abuse in the United States.
  55. Some of the definitional issues that affect the validity of examining the problem of elder abuse.
  56. The distinction among the different types of elder abuse.
  57. The different causation theories of elder abuse.
  58. The various intervention strategies for elder abuse.
  59. The definition of gay and lesbian abuse.
  60. The nature and extent of gay and lesbian abuse.
  61. The reasons for lack of study and reporting of gay and lesbian abuse by same-sex victims.
  62. How the courts and legal system have responded to gay and lesbian abuse.
  63. What professionals should do when confronted with a situation that involves gay or lesbian abuse.
  64. The HIV/AIDS disease.
  65. How HIV / AIDS affects victims of crimes.
  66. The differences among the various victim populations HIV/AIDS.
  67. The victimization of persons with disabilities.
  68. The cultural issues of family violence.
  69. The issues facing rural family violence victims.
  70. Why women continue to be sexually abused.
  71. Why rape is not a sexual crime.
  72. The distinction among stranger, marital, and acquaintance rape.
  73. Why sexual harassment is a form of sexual violence.
  74. What actions may constitute sexual harassment.
  75. The various definitions and elements in the crime of stalking.
  76. The different types of stalkers and their motivations.
  77. The various types of stalking laws in comparison with a proposed model stalking law.
  78. The constitutional issues that are raised when dealing with stalking laws.
  79. The various civil and criminal sanctions available to victims of stalking.
  80. The different types of preventive measures a victim of stalking should take.
  81. Other antistalking measures that may prevent future stalking.
  82. The types of physical injuries suffered by family violence victims.
  83. From a medical perspective, the extent and nature of the various physical injuries inflicted on victims of crime.
  84. The three stages of crisis.
  85. The effects on victims suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
  86. The symptoms of acute stress disorder.
  87. The difference between posttraumatic stress disorder and long-term crisis reaction.
  88. The other types of mental consequences suffered by family violence victims.
  89. The financial consequences of family violence.
  90. The forces that shaped the victim’s movement in the United States.
  91. Why both criminal and civil remedies are important to victims.
  92. The historical development of victim impact statements.
  93. How a victim of family violence can receive financial assistance from the state and the abuser.

Course Contents

Chapter 1: Characteristics of Family Violence

Definition

Controversies in Family Violence

Nature and Scope of the Problem

  • The National Family Violence Survey
  • Other Sources of Data on Family Violence

Factors That Contribute to Family Violence

  • The Psychiatric Model of Family Violence
  • The Social Psychological Model of Family Violence
  • The Sociocultural Model of Family Violence
  • Common Features of Family Violence

The Cycle of Violence Theory

  • Definitions of the Cycle of Violence
  • The Cycle of Violence and Family Violence
  • The Cycle of Violence and Aggression

Chapter 2: Physical Child Abuse

Definition

Extent of the Problem

The Abusers and the Abused

  • Who Are the Abusers?
  • The Victims

Indications of Physical Child Abuse

  • Location and Types of injuries
  • Psychological/ Behavioral Symptoms
  • Explanation of Injuries

Bruises

  • Timing of the Injury
  • Location of the Bruise
  • Bruise Patterns

Bums

  • Water or Immersion Burns
  • Pattern Bums

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

  • Introduction
  • Symptoms

Fractures

  • Types of Fractures Spiral Fractures

Head and Internal Injuries

  • Head Injuries
  • Internal Injuries

Child Homicide

Summary

Chapter 3: Child Sexual Abuse

Definitions

The Abuser and the Abused

  • The Abuser
  • The Abused

Indications of Sexual Abuse

  • Behavioral Indicators
  • Physical Indicators
  • Medical Indicators

Sexual Abuse

  • Forms of Sexual Abuse
  • Consequences of Sexual Abuse
  • Parricide

Summary

Chapter 4: Child Neglect

Definition

Causes of Neglect

Indications of Child Neglect

Failure to Thrive Syndrome

  • Definition
  • Characteristics

Emotional Neglect

  • Definition
  • Characteristics

Other Types of Child Neglect

  • Dirty Homes
  • Drugs and Alcohol
  • Medical Neglect
  • Abandonment
  • Children Exposed to Violence

Summary

Chapter 5: Sibling Abuse

Extent of the Problem

Definition

Siblings as Perpetrators

  • Types of Abuse
  • Characteristics of Sibling Abuse

Serial Abuse of Siblings

  • Overview
  • Interventions

Summary

Chapter 6: Ritualistic Child Abuse

Historical Background

Definition

Types of Ritualistic Abuse

  • Satanic Beliefs and Practices
  • Satanic Activity

Responding to Ritualistic Abuse

  • Recognition of Ritualistic Abuse
  • Consequences of Ritualistic Abuse

Summary

Chapter 7: Professionals and Their Response to Child Abuse

Reporting

  • Elements of Reporting Laws
  • Confidentiality

Sex Offender Community Notification (Megan’s Law)

Interviewing

  • The Interview Process
  • Evidentiary Issues

Intervention

  • Investigation
  • Expert Witnesses and Child Sexual Abuse
  • The Hearing Process

Summary

Chapter 8: Spousal Abuse

Definition

Extent of the Problem

Theories of Spousal Abuse

  • Social Stress
  • Power
  • Dependency
  • Alcohol
  • Pregnancy
  • Marriage

Characteristics of Spousal Abuse

  • The Abuser
  • The Abused
  • Dynamics of Battering

Types of Spousal Abuse

  • Physical Abuse
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Emotional Abuse

Family Violence by Police Officers

Spousal Homicide

  • Self-Defense
  • Use of Experts

Summary

Chapter 9: The Criminal Justice Response to Spousal Abuse

Extent of the Problem

Factors Affecting Police Response

Arrest and Other Alternatives

  • The Minneapolis Experiment
  • Other Replications
  • Alternatives to Arrest
  • Federal Legislation

Restraining Orders

  • Background and Use of Restraining Orders
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Restraining Orders
  • Effectiveness of Restraining Order

Courts and Spousal Assault

  • Introduction
  • Prosecution of Spousal Assault
  • Family Violence Courts

Summary

Chapter 10: Elder Abuse

Definition

Extent of the Problem

Types of Elder Abuse

  • Physical Abuse
  • Psychological Abuse
  • Material Abuse
  • Neglect

Theories of Elder Abuse

  • Cycle of Violence
  • Psychopathology
  • Social Exchange Theory
  • Family Stress Theory
  • Neutralization Theory

Reporting and Intervention

  • Reporting Laws
  • Interested Parties
  • Guardians and Conservators
  • Other Intervention Strategies

Summary

Chapter 11: Gay and Lesbian Abuse

History and Attitudes

Definitions

Nature and Scope of the Problem

  • Extent of the Problem
  • Types of Abuse

Legal and Judicial Responses

  • Reporting of Abuse
  • Legal Aspects of Gay and Lesbian Abuse

Intervention Issues

Summary

Chapter 12: Special Populations and Family Violence

Victims with HIV/AlDS

  • Medical and Psychological Aspects of HIV/AIDS
  • Service Issues
  • Specific Victim Populations

Victims with Disabilities

  • Legal Issues
  • Types of Victimization
  • Emerging Issues

Cultural Issues

  • Introduction
  • Among Culture
  • Puerto Rican Culture

Rural Victims

  • Problems and Issues

Summary

Chapter 13: Women and Sexual Violence

Definition

Extent of the Problem

  • Sexual Violence and Women

Theories on Sexual Violence

  • Causes of Rape
  • Types of Rape
  • Consequences of Rape

Stranger Rape

  • Definition
  • Victim Selection
  • Legal Aspects

Marital and Acquaintance Rape

  • The Problem
  • Marital Rape
  • Acquaintance Rape
  • Drugs and Acquaintance Rape

Sexual Harassment

  • Introduction
  • Definitions

Summary

Chapter 14: Stalking

Definition

Types of Stalking

Myths and Assessment of Stalking

Stalking Laws

  • Types of Stalking Laws
  • Constitutional Issues
  • Sanctions

Antistalking Measures

  • Physical Security Measures
  • Total Systems Approach

Summary

Chapter 15: The Consequences of Family Violence

Physical Consequences

  • Types of Injuries
  • Medical Aspects

Mental Consequences

  • Crisis
  • Acute Stress Disorder
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
  • Long Term Crisis Reaction
  • Other Mental Disorders
  • Other Effects

Financial Consequences

  • Introduction
  • Tangible Losses
  • Intangible Losses

Summary

Chapter 16: Victim’s Rights

Historical Perspective

Victims and Civil Litigation

Compensation and Restitution

  • Compensation
  • Restitution

Victim Impact Statements

  • Purpose and Procedure
  • Content
  • Effect of Victim Impact Statements

Summary