Children and Interparental Violence

Book excerpt: The past decade has seen a burgeoning of research and conceptualization on the implications of parental violence exposure on children's development and well-being. Meanwhile, seemingly daily accounts of violent tragedies committed by our youth brings to our attention the urgency of conveying this information. With these ideas in mind, Children and Interparental Violence focuses on childrens exposure to violence between their caretakers and the subsequent effects on child development. To this end, the authors review current theories, research, and treatment strategies of the 1990s, paying specific attention to families' ethnic backgrounds, parents' sexual orientation, and forensic and legal issues, all factors affecting the nature and severity of impact. Prevention and intervention models (including great detail on risk and protective factors), techniques, and programs are discussed, as well as research evaluating their usefulness. Keeping in mind the goal of integrating practice and policy with current violence and developmental research and theory, numerous case examples take the reader from the lab and classroom into the session room and courtroom.