Family Violence, Abuse and Neglect

This chapter reviews incidence, impact, history and response to family violence, abuse and neglect. Best-practice responses and resources for further reading are also highlighted, as unique indicators of family trauma, practice considerations and evidence-based interventions are explored. Family abuse comes in many forms including coercive control, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Those who are children, elderly, disabled or dependent are particularly vulnerable and therefore at risk for abuse and neglect. In 2005, the Surgeon General of the United States identified child abuse as the number one public health crisis in the country. The nature and duration of abuse; availability of stable caregivers and institutions; age, gender, cognitive abilities, internal resiliency, coping strategies and temperament – all play a role in how children respond. Central themes in the historical fight to protect children from maltreatment are society's advancing understanding of the concept of parental ownership of children.