Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you should be able to discuss the following concepts:
- The various difficulties in defining family violence.
- The problems inherent in attempting to measure the extent of family violence.
- The National Family Violence Surveys and other methods of measuring family violence.
- The various theories of family violence.
- The cycle of violence and the Cycle of Violence Theory.
- How violence in the home can cause later aggression.
- The magnitude of physical child abuse.
- The abusers and the victims of physical child abuse The indicators of physical child abuse.
- The dating of bruises by their color and shape.
- The different types of immersion burns and how they are caused.
- The various types of pattern burns.
- The medical terms for the various bones within the body.
- The types of fractures and why they indicate physical child abuse.
- The head and internal injuries children receive and how they are caused.
- The definition of child sexual abuse and the various types of activities that are included within the definition.
- The characteristics of both the abuser and the abused.
- Behavioral, physical, and medical indicators of child sexual abuse.
- The taboo of incest.
- The distinction between child neglect and physical child abuse.
- The various physical and emotional indicators of child neglect.
- Failure to thrive as a form of neglect.
- The difference between physical neglect and emotional neglect.
- The various types of acts or omissions that constitute emotional neglect.
- Other types of neglect that threaten the welfare of children.
- The nature and extent of sibling abuse.
- Why children abuse their siblings.
- Society’s response to the abuse of a sibling by a parent.
- The rationale for removing a child from the home when a sibling has been abused.
- The arguments in favor.
- The development of Satanic beliefs.
- The various symbols used by Satanic cults.
- Satanic worship and ritualistic abuse.
- The various types of ritualistic abuse.
- Victims who have been physically or sexually abused and survivors of ritualistic abuse.
- The consequences of ritualistic abuse.
- The objectives of child abuse reporting laws.
- The issues of confidentiality and when there are exceptions to this privilege.
- The techniques for proper interviewing of children.
- The basic evidentiary rules and procedures involved in a court hearing.
- The differences between a civil and a criminal hearing.
- The rights of children and parents in the legal process.
- The nature and extent of spousal abuse.
- The different theories of spousal abuse.
- The different types of spousal abuse.
- Why battered spouses stay with their abusers.
- Self-defense as it applies to spousal homicide.
- Why it is necessary to use an expert witness in spousal homicide cases.
- The risk factors associated with individuals who commit spousal assault Saunders’s typology of aggressors.
- The social forces that affected traditional police response to spousal assault.
- The theories that were tested in the Minneapolis experiment and other replications involving arrest of offenders.
- The advantages and disadvantages of the existing and proposed alternatives to arresting the perpetrator of spousal abuse.
- The advantages and disadvantages of temporary restraining orders.
- The process of prosecuting spousal assault cases.
- The nature and extent of elder abuse in the United States.
- Some of the definitional issues that affect the validity of examining the problem of elder abuse.
- The distinction among the different types of elder abuse.
- The different causation theories of elder abuse.
- The various intervention strategies for elder abuse.
- The definition of gay and lesbian abuse.
- The nature and extent of gay and lesbian abuse.
- The reasons for lack of study and reporting of gay and lesbian abuse by same-sex victims.
- How the courts and legal system have responded to gay and lesbian abuse.
- What professionals should do when confronted with a situation that involves gay or lesbian abuse.
- The HIV/AIDS disease.
- How HIV / AIDS affects victims of crimes.
- The differences among the various victim populations HIV/AIDS.
- The victimization of persons with disabilities.
- The cultural issues of family violence.
- The issues facing rural family violence victims.
- Why women continue to be sexually abused.
- Why rape is not a sexual crime.
- The distinction among stranger, marital, and acquaintance rape.
- Why sexual harassment is a form of sexual violence.
- What actions may constitute sexual harassment.
- The various definitions and elements in the crime of stalking.
- The different types of stalkers and their motivations.
- The various types of stalking laws in comparison with a proposed model stalking law.
- The constitutional issues that are raised when dealing with stalking laws.
- The various civil and criminal sanctions available to victims of stalking.
- The different types of preventive measures a victim of stalking should take.
- Other antistalking measures that may prevent future stalking.
- The types of physical injuries suffered by family violence victims.
- From a medical perspective, the extent and nature of the various physical injuries inflicted on victims of crime.
- The three stages of crisis.
- The effects on victims suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.
- The symptoms of acute stress disorder.
- The difference between posttraumatic stress disorder and long-term crisis reaction.
- The other types of mental consequences suffered by family violence victims.
- The financial consequences of family violence.
- The forces that shaped the victim’s movement in the United States.
- Why both criminal and civil remedies are important to victims.
- The historical development of victim impact statements.
- 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