Physical Violence in American Families / Edition 1

by Murray Straus

Overview

The informative and controversial findings in this book are based on two path-breaking national surveys of American families. Both show that while the family may be the central locus of love and support, it is also the locus of risk for those who are physically assaulted. The book provides a wealth of information on gender differences and similarities in violence, and on the effects of gender roles and inequality.Two landmark American studies of violence from the National Family Violence survey form the basis of this book. Both show that while the family may be the central locus of love and support, it is also the locus of risk for those who are being physically assaulted. This is particularly true for women and children, who are statistically more at risk of assault in their own homes than on the streets of any American city. Physical Violence in American Families provides a wealth of information on gender differences and similarities in violence, and on the effects of gender roles and inequality. It is essential for anyone doing empirical research or clinical assessment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781560008286
Publisher:	Transaction Publishers
Publication date:	01/30/1989
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	644
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Murray Straus

Table of Contents

I: Researching Family Violence; 1: The National Family Violence Surveys; 2: Methodological Issues in the Study of Family Violence; 3: Measuring Intrafamily Conflict and Violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales; 4: The Conflict Tactics Scales and Its Critics: An Evaluation and New Data on Validity and Reliability; 5: Injury and Frequency of Assault and the “Representative Sample Fallacy” in Measuring Wife Beating and Child Abuse; II: Incidence and Trends; 6: How Violent Are American Families? Estimates from the National Family Violence Resurvey and Other Studies; 7: Societal Change and Change in Family Violence from 1975 to 1985 As Revealed by Two National Surveys; 8: Physical Punishment and Physical Abuse of American Children: Incidence Rates by Age, Gender, and Occupational Class; III: The Social Psychology of Family Violence; 9: Gender Differences in Reporting Marital Violence and Its Medical and Psychological Consequences; 10: Some Social Structure Determinants of Inconsistency between Attitudes and Behavior: The Case of Family Violence; 11: Social Stress and Marital Violence in a National Sample of American Families; 12: The “Drunken Bum” Theory of Wife Beating; IV: Family Organization and Family Violence; 13: The Marriage License as a Hitting License: A Comparison of Assaults in Dating, Cohabiting, and Married Couples; 14: Family Patterns and Child Abuse; 15: Maternal Employment and Violence toward Children; 16: Violence and Pregnancy: Are Pregnant Women at Greater Risk of Abuse?; 17: Marital Power, Conflict, and Violence in a Nationally Representative Sample of American Couples; 18: Marital Violence in a Life Course Perspective; V: Violence and the Structure of Society; 19: Race, Class, Network Embeddedness, and Family Violence: A Search for Potent Support Systems; 20: Violence in Hispanic Families in the United States: Incidence Rates and Structural Interpretations; 21: Wife’s Marital Dependency and Wife Abuse; 22: Patriarchy and Violence against Wives: The Impact of Structural and Normative Factors; VI: The Aftermath of Family Violence: Coping and Consequences of Violence; 23: Ordinary Violence, Child Abuse, and Wife Beating: What Do They Have in Common?; 24: The Medical and Psychological Costs of Family Violence; 25: Intrafamily Violence and Crime and Violence Outside the Family; VII: Stopping Family Violence; 26: Response of Victims and the Police to Assaults on Wives; 27: Escalation and Desistance from Wife Assault in Marriage; 28: Family Patterns and Primary Prevention of Family Violence

Editorial Reviews

"The stature of the authors and the scope of the work make this an essential volume." —R.T. Sigler, Choice "A substantial and significant contribution... its many strengths include the excellence of the writing, careful attention to detail, the stimulating nature of the commentary, and above all, the quality and comprehensiveness of the research." —Leslie Moulton Asplund, Violence and Victims

From the Publisher