This is a comprehensive review of the literature on the four major forms of family violence: child abuse, child sexual abuse, conjugal violence and violence towards the elderly. Written from both clinical and legal perspectives, the book is designed to show practitioners and students what to do when individual or family victimization has occurred. It also provides suggestions for improving on the detection of violence and reducing its occurrence.

PART ONE: THE VIOLENT FAMILY - AN INTRODUCTIONUnkept Promises of Family Violence Research and PracticeGetting To Know You Fundamentals About the FamilyPART TWO: CAPTURING THE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTSCritical Issues in the Violent Family¿s Social EnvironmentThe Psychological Environment of the Violent FamilyPART THREE: VIOLENT FAMILY PERSONALITIES AND PROCESSESThe Family Violence Victim Common Points of Practitioner Study and InterventionThe Perpetrator in the Violent Family`Special People¿ in the Violent FamilyThe Family Violence ProcessPART FOUR: CAPTURING THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PRACTITIONERS¿ ENVIRONMENT I: LEGAL WORK AND THE VIOLENT FAMILYThe Legal Environment of Physical Child MaltreatmentThe Legal Environment of the Child Sexual Abuse SituationThe Legal Environment of Conjugal ViolenceMistreatment of the Elderly Disproportion in Knowledge and ResponsePART FIVE: CAPTURING THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PRACTITIONERS¿ ENVIRONMENT II: CLINICAL WORK AND THE VIOLENT FAMILYThe Clinician and the Violent Family Basic SkillsTherapies and the Violent FamilyProfessional Assessment of the Violent FamilyPART SIX: CAPTURING THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PRACTITIONERS¿ ENVIRONMENT III: SPECIAL ISSUES IN WORKING WITH THE VIOLENT FAMILY: ATTORNEY AND CLINICIANSpecial Issues in Working with the Violent Family