Domestic Violence in the Lives of Children: The Future of Research, Intervention, and Social Policy

Clinicians know from experience that some children who have been exposed to domestic violence are severely affected by the experience, whereas others appear relatively unscathed. Much less clear is what protects children in the latter group, and how the larger community and social environment impedes or enhances adjustment in their families. This collection of studies builds on two previous APA publications (Children Exposed to Marital Violence, edited by Holden, Geffner, and Jouriles, 1998, and Violence Against Children in the Family and the Community edited by Trickett and Schellenbach, 1998). This book is intentionally future-oriented, charting new directions for productive research and integrating the hitherto separate areas of domestic violence and child maltreatment research. Cutting edge methodology is emphasized, with the contributors discussing important research constructs, the best available measures and methods of analyzing data, the effectiveness of interventions, and implications for public policy. This book will be invaluable to researchers, policy makers, and all those who care about improving our understanding of the impact of domestic violence on children.