Introduction and Definitions Mediation is a negotiation conducted by a neutral third party to resolve differences and reach agreements between two or more people or organizations. Many types of mediation exist. Mediation goals may include such things as improved communication; increased cooperation; reduced anger and hostility; healing; transformation of people, families, organizations, and communities; and
Understanding the nature and scope of the problem of family violence has been a daunting task for researchers, government officials, and practitioners. Measuring the extent of a social problem as pervasive as family violence is complicated by a number of different factors. First, there is no uniform definition of what constitutes abuse and neglect or
The topic of domestic violence and its associated social, economic, and psychological costs may elicit strong reactions from the public as well as from individuals involved with domestic violence scholarship and professional and social services. Domestic violence knows no boundaries in relation to class, race, gender, or age. It is generally accepted as the most
This research paper discusses law enforcement training practices for handling domestic violence cases. It covers three broad topics: definitions of relevant terms, current training practices, and future training practices. It will begin with definitions of terms such as child abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse, and spousal abuse. However, realizing that there are many controversies as
Society has now come to the knowledge that domestic violence is a serious preventable crime. Researchers have concluded that domestic violence crosses all socioeconomic classifications. A rich man may beat his wife in the same way that a poor man does. Society also has come to understand that a person in any profession, whether a
Men represent half of all domestic violence victims (Archer 2000; Straus and Gelles 1990) and incur between 21 percent and 40 percent of physical injuries resulting from domestic violence (Archer 2000; Straus 2004; Tjaden and Thoennes 1998); the combined impact of physical and psychological abuse is comparable across genders (Pimlott-Kubiak and Cortina 2003). Children who
Domestic violence first became a focal point of public and professional attention in the 1970s, but issues impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (LGBT) have only slowly drawn the attention of domestic violence advocates. The growth of the lesbian and gay community in the 1980s, rooted in social activism and civil rights struggles, paved
Many Americans believe that domestic terrorism is a new crime. However, domestic terrorism has existed since humans first organized themselves into groups or tribes. Individuals and small groups within existing groups engaged in acts of violence against other members of the group with the limited purpose of overthrowing existing leaders, to scare away competing interests, or
Since the 1990s, a variety of legal responses to domestic violence have been adopted, including mandatory arrest policies and specialized prosecution units. Simultaneously, victim advocates have developed shelters and supportive programs for victims and children, and worked with other partners to create community interventions with the dual goals of protecting victims and decreasing abuse by
The Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) is an actuarial instrument for evaluating risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). It is used to identify men at risk of violent recidivism; that is, a new offense of assault among men who have already committed an act of IPV. The ODARA is scored based on events at