NCJ Number
159569
Date Published
1994
Length
154 pages
Annotation
This report presents the presentations and recommendations from a conference sponsored by the American Medical Association and focusing on the prevention, detection, intervention, and treatment of domestic assault, as well as criminal justice policies and responses to the problem.
Abstract
Presentations emphasized the need for the collaboration of the health and justice systems. Individual presentations discussed the efforts of physicians and attorneys to address the issue; the nature, extent, and impacts of child abuse, spouse abuse, and abuse of the elderly; the roles of health and justice professionals in family violence cases; and the relationship between drug abuse and domestic assault. Additional presentations examined societal issues related to domestic assault, the role of Federal legislation, the relationship between firearms and domestic assault, family violence and the media, and the programs and projects of the National Institute of Justice. Recommended actions include the development of an effective, multidisciplinary, communitywide assessment process that ensures the safety of all family members; early universal screening; interventions that stop violence and abuse; the development of comprehensive, culturally sensitive, and accessible intervention systems in all communities. Additional recommendations, tables, and list of participants