Understanding And Dealing With Violence

What impels human beings to harm others -- family members or strangers? And how can these impulses and actions be prevented or controlled? Heightened public awareness of, and concern about, what is widely perceived as a recent explosion of violence -- on a spectrum from domestic abuse to street crime -- has motivated behavioral and social scientists to cast new light on old questions. Many hypotheses have been offered. This volume sorts, structures, and evaluates them.The author draws on contemporary research and theory in varied fields--sociology, clinical psychology, psychiatry, social work, neuropsychology, behavioral genetics, child development, and education--to present a uniquely balanced, integrated, and readable summary of what we currently know about the causes and effects of violence. Throughout, she emphasizes the necessity of distinguishing among different types of violent behavior and of realizing that nature and nurture interact in human development. Controversial issues such as physical punishment and violent television programming receive special attention making this volume an important resource for all those concerned with violent offenders and their victims -- and for their students and trainees.In this third edition of Understanding Violence, author Elizabeth Kandel Englander draws on contemporary research and theory in varied fields to present a uniquely balanced, integrated, and readable summary of what we currently know about the causes and effects of violence, particularly its effect on children. The goal of this textbook is to give a critical review of the most relevant and important areas of research on street and family violence, examining why it is that people become violent. Between 1994 and 2004 the United States benefited from a dramatic decline in rates of violent crime. However, as the economy has weakened in recent years and tougher times have returned, the crime rate has shown signs of a modest

In Understanding Violence and Abuse, Heather Fraser and Kate Seymour examine violence and abuse from an anti-oppressive practice perspective and make connections between interpersonal violence and structural, institutional and cultural violence. Using case studies from Canada, the U.K., the U.S., Australia, Bangladesh, India and elsewhere, the authors discuss topics ranging from class oppression, street violence, white privilege, war, shame, Islamophobia and abuse in intimate relationships, as well as introduce the core tenets of anti-oppressive social work practice. They encourage readers to reflect upon hierarchies of identity and difference in relation to the ways in which violence and abuse are defined, understood and addressed. Further, they discuss several responses to violence using an anti-oppressive framework.

This book could save your life: Protect yourself from violence and learn survival skills for dangerous situations with this essential guide from a former military intelligence officer. In a civilized society, violence is rarely the answer. But when it is, it's the only answer. The sound of breaking glass downstairs in the middle of the night. The words, "Move and you die." The hands on your child, or the knife to your throat. In this essential book, self-protection expert and former military intelligence officer Tim Larkin changes the way we think about violence in order to save our lives. By deconstructing our assumptions about violence -- its morality, its function in modern society, how it actually works -- Larkin unlocks the shackles of our own taboos and arms us with what we need to know to prevent, prepare for, and survive the unthinkable event of life-or-death violence. Through a series of harrowing true-life stories, Larkin demonstrates that violence is a tool equally effective in the hands of the "bad guy" or the "good guy"; that the person who acts first, fastest and with the full force of their body is the one who survives; and that each and every one of us is capable of being that person when our lives are at stake. An indispensable resource, When Violence is the Answer will remain with you long after you've finished reading, as the bedrock of your self-protection skills and knowledge.

Violence against women is one factor in the growing wave of alarm about violence in American society. High-profile cases such as the O.J. Simpson trial call attention to the thousands of lesser-known but no less tragic situations in which women's lives are shattered by beatings or sexual assault. The search for solutions has highlighted not only what we know about violence against women but also what we do not know. How can we achieve the best understanding of this problem and its complex ramifications? What research efforts will yield the greatest benefit? What are the questions that must be answered? Understanding Violence Against Women presents a comprehensive overview of current knowledge and identifies four areas with the greatest potential return from a research investment by increasing the understanding of and responding to domestic violence and rape: What interventions are designed to do, whom they are reaching, and how to reach the many victims who do not seek help. Factors that put people at risk of violence and that precipitate violence, including characteristics of offenders. The scope of domestic violence and sexual assault in America and its conequences to individuals, families, and society, including costs. How to structure the study of violence against women to yield more useful knowledge. Despite the news coverage and talk shows, the real fundamental nature of violence against women remains unexplored and often misunderstood. Understanding Violence Against Women provides direction for increasing knowledge that can help ameliorate this national problem.

Understanding and Dealing with Violence: A Multicultural Approach situates violence within a social, cultural, and historical context. Edited by distinguished scholars Barbara C. Wallace and Robert T. Carter, this unique volume explores historical factors, socialization influences, and the historical and contemporary dynamics between the oppressed and the oppressor. State-of-the-art research guides a diverse group of psychologists, educators, policy-makers, religious leaders, community members, victims, and perpetrators in finding viable solutions to violence.

What impels human beings to harm others--family members or strangers? And how can these impulses and actions be prevented or controlled? Heightened public awareness of and concern about what is widely perceived as a recent explosion of violence, on a spectrum from domestic abuse to street crime to terrorism has motivated behavioral and social scientists to cast new light on old questions. Many hypotheses have been offered. In this book Elizabeth Kandel Englander sorts, structures, and evaluates them. She draws on contemporary research and theory in varied fields--clinical and social psychology, sociology, criminology, psychiatry, social work, neuropsychology, behavioral genetics, and education--to present a uniquely balanced, integrated, and readable summary of what we currently know about the causes and effects of violence. Throughout, she emphasizes the necessity of distinguishing among different types of violent behavior and of realizing that nature and nurture interact in human development. There are no simple answers and many well-accepted "facts" must be challenged. This thoroughly revised and expanded second edition of Understanding Violence will be welcomed by all those concerned with violent offenders and their victims, and by their students and trainees. New chapters discuss: *biological and psychological factors in violence; *developmental and social learning factors in violence; and *youth violence, including gang conflicts and school shootings. New coverage includes recent research on: *children's use of violent video games and their relationship to violent or aggressive behavior--alcohol use and violence, and the role of alcohol and drugs in violent crime; *the types and causes of sexual assault; *spousal homicide, child abuse, and physical punishment; and *social and cultural factors in violence. Updated statistics on frequencies and types of violent crimes are also incorporated.

Multicultural in its approach to violence this volume will be of interest to students and academics in a range of disciplines. The contributors examine the role of cultural, social and historical factors in the manifestation and perpetuation of the cycle of human violence.

Understanding and Dealing with Violence: A Multicultural Approach situates violence within a social, cultural, and historical context. Edited by distinguished scholars Barbara C. Wallace and Robert T. Carter, this unique volume explores historical factors, socialization influences, and the historical and contemporary dynamics between the oppressed and the oppressor. State-of-the-art research guides a diverse group of psychologists, educators, policy-makers, religious leaders, community members, victims, and perpetrators in finding viable solutions to violence.