Violence - A Guide for the Caring Professions

• NCJ Number: 100727
• Author(s): R G Owens; J B Ashcroft
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 205 pages
• Sale Source: Croom Helm Ltd
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This book reviews causal explanations of violence, assesses strategies for reducing it, and proposes a general intervention model.

Abstract

Biological explanations of crime refer to such factors as genetics and hormones to account for violent behavior, and sociologists as well as anthropologists note variations in aggressiveness due to social and cultural factors. Psychologists focus on personality dynamics and individual responses to situational stimuli as explanations for violence. A multidisciplinary perspective on violence is required in any analysis of particular violence patterns. Judicial efforts to suppress violence with sanctions have generally failed, and psychosurgery yields mixed results and undesirable side effects. Drug treatments are often effective over the short term, and various psychological treatment techniques can reduce or eliminate violent behavior in individuals. Information gathering and analysis are required to determine what causal factors are dominant in particular situations and which intervention techniques are most likely to be effective. Whatever intervention approach is adopted, it should be systematically evaluated to determine its effectiveness. 54 references and a subject index.