Richard J. Gelles

The marriage license as a hitting license, child abuse, sibling war is the powerful message of "Behind Closed Doors". The book is grounded in the unprecedented national survey of the extent, patterns, and causes of violence in the American family. Based on a seven-year study of over 2,000 families, the authors provide landmark insights into this phenomenon of violence and what causes Americans to inflict it on their family members. The authors explore the relationship between spousal abuse and child abuse as well as abuse between siblings, violence by children against their parents, and the causes and effects of verbal abuse. Taken together, their analysis provides a vivid picture of how violence is woven into the fabric of family life and why the hallmark of family life is both love and violence. This is a comprehensive, highly readable account of interest to both the professional and the lay-person on an important topic, which concerns the social well-being of us all.

This Fourth Edition of Intimate Violence and Abuse in Families updates a best-selling core text in the field of intimate violence and child maltreatment. New features include: a "Global Perspectives" call-out box for each of the chapters that explore an aspect of research, policy, and practice globally or in another nation; and a separate chapter that examines forms of intimate partner violence other than male-to-female. Bidirectional intimate partner violence and female-to-male violence remain contentious topics in the field of intimate partner violence and rarely receive extensive coverage in books or texts; Chapter 7 includes a new examination of brain and behavior research and theory as it can be applied to intimate partner violence. Further, Chapter 8 adds a much-expanded examination of the most important federal policies pertaining to child welfare and child maltreatment. The inclusion of all forms of relationship and intimate violence continues to be a distinctive feature of the book, which is a must-have for both undergraduate and graduate students studying social work, family studies, criminology, nursing, sociology, and/or psychology.

“I am from the government and I am here to help you” is one of the three biggest lies, or so the old joke goes. Richard J. Gelles, dean of social policy at University of Pennsylvania, explains why government programs designed to cure social ills don’t work in sector after sector…and never could work. He demonstrates how each creates its own bureaucracy to monitor participation in the program, an entrenched administrative apparatus whose needs supersede those for whom the program was designed. Against this, he contrasts universal programs such as the GI Bill, Social Security, and Medicare, the most successful, sustained government programs ever established. Gelles’s provocative, controversial proposal for a universal entitlement to replace a raft of lumbering social programs should be read by all in social services, policy studies, and government.

“I am from the government and I am here to help you” is one of the three biggest lies, or so the old joke goes. Richard J. Gelles, dean of social policy at University of Pennsylvania, explains why government programs designed to cure social ills don’t work in sector after sector…and never could work. He demonstrates how each creates its own bureaucracy to monitor participation in the program, an entrenched administrative apparatus whose needs supersede those for whom the program was designed. Against this, he contrasts universal programs such as the GI Bill, Social Security, and Medicare, the most successful, sustained government programs ever established. Gelles’s provocative, controversial proposal for a universal entitlement to replace a raft of lumbering social programs should be read by all in social services, policy studies, and government.

The marriage license as a hitting license, child abuse, sibling war is the powerful message of "Behind Closed Doors". The book is grounded in the unprecedented national survey of the extent, patterns, and causes of violence in the American family. Based on a seven-year study of over 2,000 families, the authors provide landmark insights into this phenomenon of violence and what causes Americans to inflict it on their family members. The authors explore the relationship between spousal abuse and child abuse as well as abuse between siblings, violence by children against their parents, and the causes and effects of verbal abuse. Taken together, their analysis provides a vivid picture of how violence is woven into the fabric of family life and why the hallmark of family life is both love and violence. This is a comprehensive, highly readable account of interest to both the professional and the lay-person on an important topic, which concerns the social well-being of us all.

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: "These essays are exemplary in conceptualization, organization, and delivery. The messages are crystal clear, the readability superb. This book stands as a model of editorial excellence. The design of the volume is unique and responds well to a clear need in the subdiscipline of family violence, which remains fraught with diversity and dissention. . . . This piece of work is honest and effectively illuminates the growing pains of a very young and ideologically loaded subdiscipline that is anchored by an interdisciplinary and heterogeneous collection of smart people. Current Controversies on Family Violence is a powerful addition to the family violence literature. I recommend it as required reading for family violence courses. Gelles and Loseke are to be commended for their excellent idea, their tenacity, their directness and candor as expressed in the framing materials, their sensitive insights, and their superb editorial skills." --Ann Goetting, Western Kentucky University "Gelles and Loseke accomplish their goal of encouraging debate among family violence researchers....does the best job I have seen at presenting the spectrum of approaches to the problem in a fair objective manner....an outstanding contribution to family violence research." --JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY The study of family violence is surrounded by multiple controversies. Experts in this field do not agree about what should be studied and condemned (Is spanking violence? Is women's violence toward men a major social problem? If it is, how should it be measured? What, specifically, should be condemned as date rape?) Experts also disagree about the causes of violence (Individual pathology? The structure of gender or families?), as well as about what should be done to eliminate it (Do child sexual abuse education programs or family preservation programs work?). Now in its Second Edition, Current Controversies on Family Violence contains thoughtful--often heated--discussions that highlight the most current controversies, research, and policy directions in the family violence area. This volume includes chapters by academic and public policy researchers, therapists, lawyers, victim advocates and educators. Some of the controversies in the First Edition have been deleted while new ones have been added. Chapters in this Second Edition also are shorter and more accessible to readers who are not already experts in family violence. This is an excellent and necessary resource for students and researchers of interpersonal violence, sociology, social work, nursing, gender studies, clinical psychology, criminal justice, and gerontology.

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: "These essays are exemplary in conceptualization, organization, and delivery. The messages are crystal clear, the readability superb. This book stands as a model of editorial excellence. The design of the volume is unique and responds well to a clear need in the subdiscipline of family violence, which remains fraught with diversity and dissention. . . . This piece of work is honest and effectively illuminates the growing pains of a very young and ideologically loaded subdiscipline that is anchored by an interdisciplinary and heterogeneous collection of smart people. Current Controversies on Family Violence is a powerful addition to the family violence literature. I recommend it as required reading for family violence courses. Gelles and Loseke are to be commended for their excellent idea, their tenacity, their directness and candor as expressed in the framing materials, their sensitive insights, and their superb editorial skills." --Ann Goetting, Western Kentucky University "Gelles and Loseke accomplish their goal of encouraging debate among family violence researchers....does the best job I have seen at presenting the spectrum of approaches to the problem in a fair objective manner....an outstanding contribution to family violence research." --JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY The study of family violence is surrounded by multiple controversies. Experts in this field do not agree about what should be studied and condemned (Is spanking violence? Is women's violence toward men a major social problem? If it is, how should it be measured? What, specifically, should be condemned as date rape?) Experts also disagree about the causes of violence (Individual pathology? The structure of gender or families?), as well as about what should be done to eliminate it (Do child sexual abuse education programs or family preservation programs work?). Now in its Second Edition, Current Controversies on Family Violence contains thoughtful--often heated--discussions that highlight the most current controversies, research, and policy directions in the family violence area. This volume includes chapters by academic and public policy researchers, therapists, lawyers, victim advocates and educators. Some of the controversies in the First Edition have been deleted while new ones have been added. Chapters in this Second Edition also are shorter and more accessible to readers who are not already experts in family violence. This is an excellent and necessary resource for students and researchers of interpersonal violence, sociology, social work, nursing, gender studies, clinical psychology, criminal justice, and gerontology.

Praise for the Second Edition: "A must read for anyone working in the broad field of mental health. It is a most comprehensive, scholarly, and up-to-date presentation of the issues involved in this difficult but increasingly important field. The author's . . . scholarly comments enable the reader to come to a clear, definitive opinion about the real facts in this emotion-laden area. . . . Well written and quite readable." --Nathan B. Epstein, M. D., Psychiatrist-in-Chief, St. Luke's Hospital, New Bedford, Massachusetts "Serves as an excellent guide to introduce the reader to the broad range of family problems associated with family violence. It does a good job of showing how devastating and tragic family violence really is, as well as showing the emotional and physical trauma suffered by the victims." --Family Violence Bulletin Winner of the American Journal of Nursing 1990 Book of the Year Award in its second edition, Intimate Violence in Families has been thoroughly revised and updated in its third edition. Drawing on the latest research, this book dismantles many of the conventional myths hindering our understanding of family violence. Through an exploration of some of the major controversies in the field, Richard Gelles discusses various theories of intimate violence and the contributing social factors. This third edition includes a substantial expansion of material on hidden victims of familial violence-siblings, parents, and the elderly-as well as an examination of violence between gay and lesbian couples. While the first two editions of Intimate Violence in Families focused on physical abuse, here Gelles also explores neglect and emotional and psychological abuse, offering a much broader look at the full spectrum of familial abuse. Breaking important new ground, Gelles carefull examines what we know about intervention and treatment program effectiveness, with special attention to intensive family preservation programs and men's treatment programs. A major text for use in coursework on interpersonal violence, family violence, psychology, counseling, social work, and special issues in gender studies and sociology, Intimate Violence in Families, Third Edition will also provide essential information to professionals working in those areas.