NCJ Number
151229
Date Published
1994
Length
37 pages
Annotation
The Family Violence Working Group was established by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to deal with the special needs of domestic violence victims and to provide a more prominent OJP focus on violent families through improved information exchange, coordinated planning, and project collaboration.
Abstract
In 1993, about 1,300 children died as a result of abuse and neglect, an estimated 2.9 million cases of child abuse and neglect were reported, and over 1 million reported cases were confirmed by child protective services. Also in 1993, about 15 percent of substantiated child maltreatment cases involved sexual abuse. In 43 percent of serious child abuse and neglect cases, at least one parent had a documented substance abuse problem. Approximately 70 percent of spouse assaulters also physically abused their children. Over two- thirds of violent victimizations against women were committed by someone they knew, and about 5 percent of elderly persons were victims of moderate to severe abuse. Social dimensions of significance in family violence include economic, ethnic, and cultural factors that affect the family structure. The OJP's Family Violence Working Group recognizes the significance of domestic violence and sponsors a number of programs and projects to prevent such violence. Funding is provided by the Office for Victims of Crime, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Brief descriptions of some of these programs and projects are provided, and a list of family violence contacts at OJP is included. 20 references