ABSTRACT
This chapter will trace the history of family violence and its study in the United States. We will review trends in family violence and changes in the laws that address family violence. In addition to noting the changes in the laws, we will identify the social changes that precipitated the changes in the law. Objectives
To examine the historical definitions of each type of family violence, including child abuse, sexual abuse, elder abuse, and intimate partner violence
To examine the history of the legal treatment of each type of family violence
To explore the social and environmental changes that led to changes in definitions and legal treatments of each type of family violence
To demonstrate the role that the historical construct and legal treatment of family violence play in the contemporary definitions and legal responses
