An Integrated Investigation of Family Violence

The book develops an integrated framework to analyze four different types of family violence: intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder maltreatment, and sibling bullying. The framework is based on evolutionary biopsychology, social psychology, and sociology, offering a comprehensive understanding of the key determinants of family violence. Although the theories developed apply cross-culturally, the work summarizes more directly the latest empirical research on family violence in the United States and Canada. It demonstrates that, while each type of family violence shares in common various underlying causal or risk factors, the evidence reveals, too, that certain mechanisms are highly specific to particular family relationships. Academicians, service professionals, and educated consumers alike who are intrigued by the complexities of human aggression and family violence will find here trusted summaries of key explanatory principles that build upon the state-of-the-art research from across many different scientific disciplines.