A Family Affair: The Juvenile Court and Family Violence Cases

Little attention has been devoted to studies of adolescent family violence offending, yet research on adult populations show that victim relationship may make a difference in how offenders are treated in the criminal justice system. Given that the intergenerational transmission of violence may operate through adolescent family violence, a detailed examination of these youth is warranted. Through an analysis of detained youth in a small northeastern state, this study examines differences in court treatment between family and non-family offenders. Family violence offenders are significantly more likely to be minor offenders and to be female than are non-family offenders. Results of logistic regression show that, all else being equal, family violence youth are treated more leniently by the court than non-family offenders. Finally, while most youth are released to community dispositions, there are no differences in court-ordered family counseling between family and non-family offenders. These findings point to areas of needed research on adolescent family violence offenders and larger policy questions about how such youth should be treated relative to other youth. A previous version of this paper was presented at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Denver, CO.     

The Role of Family Violence on Mental Health and Hopefulness in an Iranian Adolescents Sample

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family violence and both mental health and hope. It was also designed to investigate the roles of gender and ethnicity on these constructs in an Iranian context. Participants included 300 adolescents from Eghid City, Fars Province, Iran selected through systematic random sampling within a survey design. A demographic questionnaire and three inventories were administered. Results indicated significant correlation coefficients between family violence, mental health, and hope. Males in general had a greater childhood history of physical assault and neglect, and experienced more overall family violence compared to females. Females showed higher psychopathology, including somatic complaints, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression. Ethnicity also played a significant role in nonviolent discipline and psychological aggression toward children.     

Family Violence and Dating Violence in Korea

The purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents of dating violence. The paper hypothesizes that the relationship between family of origin violence and dating violence will be mediated by neutralizing beliefs. To test this hypothesis, a survey was conducted of 510 college students in Seoul and Kyung-gi provinces in South Korea. Partner violence and child abuse in the family of origin were associated with college students’ perpetration of dating violence. That relationship was mediated by neutralizing beliefs. The same results were found for both male and female students. Based on the findings, this study presents practical suggestions for intervening in dating violence.     

The Impact of Family Environment-Related Factors on Violence Against Adults in the Family

Much of the work on family violence, adult-on-adult violence, relies heavily on the characteristics of potential victims and offenders to explain the causes of violence. Family environment-related factors which can be represented by family organization, resources and stability have received relatively little attention. Those who live in a small family (or alone) may have a lower level of interaction with family members and a much lower risk of physical abuse compared to those living in larger family units. Also, the social organization or functionality of a family, which can be assumed from its structure and the relationships among its members, is likely to be related to the onset of violence. For those living in stable and wealthy families, violence may occur less often as a result of a reduced chance of conflict or family struggle. Findings of the current study show that the family environment differentiates the chances of victimization by family members.     

The Contribution of Family Relationships to Child-to-Parent Violence

Child-to-parent violence is a social problem that is qualitatively different from other types of family violence, since adolescents direct their violence toward those who should represent authority and provide for their welfare. One of the goals of this study was to analyze the importance of the quality of family relationships and different strategies of family discipline with regard to violent or prosocial behavior of adolescents toward their parents. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test a model of violent behavior towards parents. Participants were 585 children aged between 12 and 18 from eight schools in the Basque Country (Spain). Positive family discipline and supervision were not associated with lower levels of violence against parents. Family relationships had direct effects on child-to-parent violence, and power-assertive discipline showed a mediating effect in that association. It seems that affectivity and quality of family relationships are the most important aspects for preventing violent behaviors.     

农村家庭暴力与女性暴力犯罪心理的形成和发展

家庭暴力在我国农村普遍存在,它不仅影响家庭和睦,严重摧残女性的身心健康,而且成为当今社会女性暴力犯罪心理形成的直接诱因。农村受虐女性经历困惑、伤心、绝望无助、报复泄恨等心理变化,最终形成了犯罪心理并在特定情景下激化成暴力犯罪行为。应据此采取有效措施,预防女性暴力犯罪心理、犯罪行为的发生发展。     

The Role of Dissociation in the Cycle of Violence

The primary aim of this study was to examine the role of dissociation in the relationship between child maltreatment and intimate partner violence among 148 inner city women. It was proposed that dissociation would be a mediator in the relationship between child maltreatment and intimate partner perpetration. Overall, the hypothesis was supported. Findings revealed that women with a history of child maltreatment who experienced high levels of dissociation were more likely to be perpetrators of intimate partner violence than those with low levels of dissociation.     

家庭暴力和婚姻家庭的伦理底线

夫妻之间产生的家庭暴力是一种不对称的暴力行为。其可分成硬暴力和软暴力两种不同形式。而后者的行为同样令人发指,它所带给夫妻双方的伤害更为隐密和持久。如果说硬暴力是一个和法律密切相关的问题,那么软暴力似乎只是一个和婚姻伦理相关的问题。     

家庭暴力的法律思考

家庭暴力已经成为全球性的社会问题,如何有效地预防和解决这种社会现象成为我国面临的重大课题。我国反对家庭暴力的立法存在对家庭暴力的定义太狭窄、针对家庭暴力案件缺少专门证据规则、政府在解决家庭暴力问题职责的规定缺乏等缺陷,应采取制定一部专门的《家庭暴力防治法》、完善相关法律等对策。     

The Use of Domestic Violence Advocates in Juvenile Court: Lessons from the Dependency Court Intervention Program for Family Violence

The Dependency Court Intervention Program for Family Violence (DCIPFV) is a national demonstration project awarded to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida (Miami) by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Developed by Judge Cindy Lederman and Susan Schechter in 1997, the DCIPFV identifies victims of domestic violence in the dependency court system. DCIPFV advocates provide a variety of services to such victims, helping them achieve safe environments for themselves and their children with the understanding that the well‐being of children can be better assured by addressing the safety and self‐efficacy of their mothers. This article discusses the DCIPFV program and makes recommendations for communities seeking to implement a similar program in their jurisdiction.     

关于家庭暴力的法治思考

家庭暴力在世界各国普遍、长期地存在,其中绝大部分属于丈夫对妻子的暴力,仗广大妇女深受其害。本文对家庭暴力的成因、特点以及西方国家的治暴经验等方面进行了分析,认为完善现有法律规定,做到依法制暴,将是中国打击家庭暴力的必然选择。     

Cognitive Mechanisms of the Transmission of Violence: Exploring Gender Differences among Adolescents Exposed to Family Violence

This study focuses on the mechanisms through which exposure to family violence leads to aggressive behavior in adolescents who were the victims of abuse and neglect. A sample of 166 adolescents from residential child welfare and protection centers for victims of abuse and neglect completed measures of victimization and witnessing violence at home, three schemas (justification of violence, mistrust, and grandiosity), aggressiveness (proactive and reactive), and depression. The results showed that witnessing family violence is more intensely associated with aggressiveness than victimization, and that part of this association is mediated by schemas of justification of violence and grandiosity. Victimization was associated with less aggressiveness and more depression, through the schema of mistrust. In girls exposure to family violence was more intensely associated with aggressiveness.     

Measuring Family Violence: The Conceptualization and Utilization of Prevalence and Incidence Rates

The present study argues for a standard conceptualization of prevalence and incidence in family violence research. Reviewing several definitions of both prevalence and incidence in the family violence literature, we identify important inconsistencies in conceptualizations. The use of time frame to distinguish incidence and prevalence seems to have been a main thrust of the conceptual confusion. A gold standard conceptualization is proposed that sees prevalence as the extent to which violent behavior is distributed in the population and incidence as the amount of violent behavior that occurs among those in the population who experience violence. A discussion of rates calculated with other conceptualizations illustrates the need for standardization as well as the utility of the conceptualization in the present study. The calculation of prevalence and incidence rates is exemplified with respect to interpartner violence using Statistics Canada's Violence Against Women Survey (VAWS). Using duration as an independent variable, we also illustrate how the choice of incidence or prevalence rates may affect the operation of risk markers. Given the need for standardization, the relative ease with which this can be accomplished, and the knowledge that research in this area will be conducted well into the future, we conclude with a plea for a standard use of prevalence and incidence among family violence scholars.