Working with Violent Families

A Guide for Clinical and Legal Practitioners

Written for practitioners by practitioners, this timely, insightful volume examines, in depth, all four major forms of family violence: child abuse, child sexual abuse, conjugal violence, and elder abuse. It is designed to inform practitioners and students preparing for practice what to do when identification and assessment have confirmed that individual or family victimization has occurred. A unique feature of this volume is that a practitioner may return to the work time and again to delve into research which directly affects a particular type of family violence or a particular member of that family system. And, while the volume emphasizes more distinctive aspects of family violence, it also addresses the common problems confronting those who work with the poor, the hostile and resistant, and the minority family. The survey nature and applied focus of this volume makes it appropriate not only for professionals, but also for advanced students in family studies, psychology, social work, sociology, law, criminal justice, nursing, and medicine. "This text presents for the clinician and legal practitioner an extensive view of abuse and violence in the family. The well-organized format is a particular strength of this book. Included are eight appendices that organize the references by topic area, making this text an exceptional resource guide for anyone interested in understanding violent families. " . . .offers the practitioner an excellent resource and overview in the areas of family violence, with a clear style of presentation that makes it very readable and an organizational structure that allows quick access to any topic area in the book." --Erik Sorensen, University of Florida "An excellent resource for students, professionals and the novice who wants more information on the legal aspects and clinical changes in the area of family violence. It is recommended as a source for anyone who is interested in having an overall view of this field and insight into its future directions." --Family Violence Bulletin "The clinician, especially one who is not already a specialist on abuse, will find this book a good source of clinical insight into members of these families. It offers much for therapists in terms of professional approach and stance, assessment and diagnosis, and treatment modalities and interventions." --Affilia "Practitioners who have generic practices, instructors who teach about various kinds of family violence, and scholars who build on the author's efforts to find links among acts of family violence will welcome this effort. This ambitious book by a psychologist and an attorney is an important addition to the family-violence field. It helps redress shortcomings in the field. Especially striking is that despite the fact that most interventions continue to be designed to alter individual and family characteristics, the social environment is a much more significant correlate of violence than are individual or family traits." --Social Casework "An impressive and admirable book. . . . The Boltons' book is a piece of well organized scholarship which offers a kind of contemporary state of the art view of the field. . . . Practitioners at all levels will find the book useful." --Journal of Family Psychotherapy "The book's strongest discussions and applications lie in the rich description provided of violent families and of the best methods for treating these cases. Clinicians new to the family violence field will find in the book a very useful resource for improving their abilities to work effectively with clients. Of particular use for both clinicians and attorneys is the books' reference guide, which identifies particular citations for the key topics discussed in the text. The book is an excellent summary of the manner in which the clinical and legal worlds deal with family violence." --Contemporary Sociology "A practical reference on violent families that gathers the latest thinking, research, and practice of thousands of legal, clinical, and academic professionals into one volume. An excellent resource for the novice and expert that addresses every aspect of family-related violence." --American Correctional Association