Violence Against Women and Children, Volume 1: Mapping the Terrain

Child abuse, sexual and domestic violence are among the most destructive experiences afflicting women and children. The wide prevalence of such violence takes an enormous toll on the lives of individual victims as well as the larger society, through innumerable behavioral, health, psychological, and economic consequences. While many groups, organizations, and government agencies have been established to identify, prevent, and treat such violence, our response to these problems has been piecemeal and not optimally successful. A coordinated, cross-disciplinary synthesis of what we know, how we know it, and the necessary next steps is sorely needed to enable us to effectively address these issues. Developed as part of an initiative by former APA President Alan Kazdin, this two-volume set aims to provide consensus recommendations for researchers, practitioners, advocates, policymakers, and all those who seek more effective responses to interpersonal violence. In this volume, experts from diverse disciplines describe prevalence rates among various populations; risk factors for perpetration and vulnerability and protective factors for potential victims. They also document the impact of violence on the victims in terms of psychological, reproductive, maternal and child health, and behavioral and economic consequences. In the process, they establish commonalities across child abuse, sexual and domestic violence, and suggest vital next steps for collaborative efforts.