NCJ Number
138170
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: (March 1992) Pages: 181-189
Date Published
1992
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Violence within the family is increasingly being recognized as a serious societal problem in the United States, and psychiatrists need to recognize this phenomenon and bring it to the attention of government officials, educators, and the public.
Abstract
The magnitude of family violence is emphasized in a Department of Justice report, which concludes there were at least 4.1 million cases of family violence between 1973 and 1981, an average of 450,000 cases per year. The report also notes that these figures are probably much lower than the actual number of cases because the estimates reflect only behavior that victims are willing to report as criminal to survey interviewers. Four types of family violence are discussed: violence toward children, siblings, women, and the elderly. The development of violent relationships in the family is explored from both biological and psychological perspectives. Psychological perspectives encompass several frameworks (psychopathological model, social learning model, aversively stimulated aggression concept, and systems theory). The authors also examine risk factors for and effects of violence as well as characteristics of aggressors and victims. Available intervention strategies for various types of violent behavior are then discussed. It is concluded that communication and cooperation must be promoted to involve psychiatrists, health care providers, criminal justice agencies, schools, and social service agencies and that the family must be protected as the basic unit of socialization. 79 references