ABSTRACT
In total these acts of violence are like a ritualized acting out of our social relations of power: the dominant and the weaker, the powerful and the powerless, the passive …the masculine and the feminine.
—MICHAEL KAUFMAN, “The Construction of Masculinity and the Triad of Men’s Violence”The final chapter of the book will first provide a summary of what we have covered so far and then proceed into a carefully laid-out prescription—based on the data presented in each chapter—for the prevention of all forms of family violence. Our proposals will include suggestions for modifying the criminal justice approach as well as suggestions for the development of more successful prevention and, when necessary, intervention programs. Unlike many texts on this topic, we will also provide suggestions for the ways in which reductions in inequalities—of race and ethnicity, social class, sexuality, and particularly gender—will likely lead to reductions in the levels of all forms of family violence. We will conclude by providing suggestions for future research. Objectives
To provide a brief summary of the history of various forms of family violence, the theories used to explain family violence, and the most common responses to it
To lay out a series of prescriptions for improved response to family violence—highlighting what works and what does not—as well as suggestions for both prevention and intervention
To offer a perspective on the ways in which reductions in social inequalities of gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality, age, and so on would inevitably produce reductions in family violence
