Public and academic interest in youth and community violence has grown with school shootings, horrific cases of child abuse, and reports of domestic abuse becoming regular news features. Research on interpersonal violence has had a corresponding progression, but there is a tendency by researchers to examine these issues at the individual level, rather than considering the micro- and macro-level causes, correlates, and outcomes for those affected directly and indirectly by violence.Edited by four leading violence researchers, Violence in Context takes the more systemic view, offering a critical appraisal of research and theory that focuses on violence in youth, families, and communities. Authors investigate the ways in which violence is defined and understood, how risk and protective factors promote and inhibit violence in the groups most responsible for the socialization of youth, and how violence and related behaviors differ by gender, race, and ethnicity. A rich analysis of the field familiarizes readers with some of the most compelling approaches to violence prevention, including interventions that begin at infancy with families at risk. Every chapter examines the latest research on violence prevention, with a goal of moving towards the multi-system, integrated intervention models and approaches that will incorporate the social context of violence across settings and population subgroups.The result is a valuable interdisciplinary book for scholars, practitioners, and students that provides a comprehensive overview of published studies, limitations of research findings, and a thoughtful discussion of the ways in which future research can build on what is currently known about the causes, consequences, and prevention of violence in different settings.

SECTION 1: Definitions and Measurement of Interpersonal Violence across SettingsChapter 1: The Context of ViolenceTodd I. Herrenkohl, Eugene Aisenberg, James Herbert Williams, and Jeffrey M. JensonChapter 2: Defining ViolenceEugene Aisenberg, Amelia Gavin, Gita Mehrotra, and Jennifer BowmanSECTION 2: Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Violence: Variations by Race, Ethnicity, and GenderChapter 3: Race and Ethnic Differences in Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Youth ViolenceJames Herbert Williams, Charlotte Lyn Bright, and Granger PetersenChapter 4: Gender Differences in Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Youth ViolenceCharlotte Lyn Bright, James Herbert Williams, and Granger PetersenSECTION 3: The Context of Family Violence and Co-Occurring Risks for Children: Implications for PreventionChapter 5: Family Violence and Co-Occurring Risk Factors for Children Exposed to ViolenceTodd I. HerrenkohlChapter 6: Resilience and Protection from Violence Exposure in Children: Implications for Prevention and Intervention Programs with Vulnerable PopulationsTodd I. HerrenkohlSECTION 4: Preventing Youth Violence in Family, School, and Community Contexts: Implications for Integrated Programs and Policy DevelopmentChapter 7: Advances and Challenges in the Prevention of Youth ViolenceJeffrey M. JensonChapter 8: Effective Violence Prevention Approaches in School, Family, and Community SettingsJeffrey M. Jenson, Anne Powell, and Shandra Forrest-BankSECTION 5: Future Considerations for the Study and Prevention of ViolenceChapter 9: Culture, Intersectionality, and Interrelatedness of Forms of Violence: Considerations in the Study of Violence and Violence PreventionEugene Aisenberg, Gita Mehrotra, Amelia Gavin, and Jennifer BowmanChapter 10: Lessons and Challenges in the Study and Prevention of ViolenceTodd I. Herrenkohl, Eugene Aisenberg, James Herbert Williams, and Jeffrey M. Jenson