This book aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to the subject of domestic violence and its interaction with the criminal justice system- including agencies such as the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the probation service and Children's Services, the courts and the prison service, as well as voluntary agencies such as Women's Aid. The book also looks at how these various agencies work together at a local level and the coordinating role of the Home Office and the direction provided at a central level. Domestic Violence and Criminal Justice examines the phenomenon of domestic violence, the various forms it takes and the theories that have been put forward to explain it. It takes an historical approach to examine policy and legislative developments over the last forty years and how those developments make themselves manifest today. The authors provide an authoritative and critical account of the different agencies and the work they carry out both independently and jointly; they also consider the limits of a crime centred response to domestic violence. The book provides a conceptual framework in which domestic violence and criminal justice might be better understood. It covers all the current issues in this field and it will be a 'source book' in directing readers to further reading. It will be essential reading for both students and practitioners in the field.

Domestic Violence and Criminal Justice offers readers an overview of domestic violence and its effects on society, including what can be done to curtail its rapid growth and widespread harm. Criminal justice and sociology students will find this text readable, up-to-date, and rich in historical detail. Geared toward the criminal justice system, this text focuses on civil and criminal justice processes, from securing a restraining order to completing an arrest, all the way to the final disposition.

This edition continues to address the basic questions surrounding domestic violence. Virtually all chapters have been rewritten, and material has been added on changes in prosecution criteria and on different methods to protect the victim.

Gendered Justice takes a unique, multi-layered look at the various elements that factor into our understanding of domestic violence and how the criminal justice system handles situations of domestic violence. The book focuses primarily on the role of gender, but also considers socio-economic status, race, age, education, and the relationship between the victim and criminal. Illustrated with case studies throughout, the book introduces major themes, such as the social construction of gender and victimology, as well as topics such as the portrayal of intimate partner violence in the media and how it shapes our understanding of violence.

The historical context of family violence is explored, as well as the various forms of violence, their prevalence in specific stages of life, and responses to it made by the criminal justice system and other agencies. The linkage among child abuse, partner violence and elder abuse is scrutinized, and the usefulness of the life-course approach is couched in terms of its potential effect on policy implications; research methods that recognize the importance of life stages, trajectories, and transitions; and crime causation theories that can be enhanced by it.

The markedly increased attention focused on violence within families has gripped the concerned interest not only of academic researchers but also that of the public and its law enforcement and criminal justice segments. Contemporary recognition of the widespread problem of abuse within the home, often dramatically and poignantly detailed, has not, however, led to clear and universally accepted public institutional responses. This authoritative volume presents a comprehensive evaluation of approaches, policies, and practical enforcement measures that have been effected by law enforcement and criminal justice bodies. The development of changes in social attitudes to spousal abuse; the role of the police and the practical interventions they may impose when contacted; the ramifications which decisions to prosecute may have on defendants' subsequent behavior; and the victims' responses to public interventions are topics that are all covered by this book. It is a current, substantive, and practically instructive volume on a social issue of vital importance.

This new edition of the bestselling Responding to Domestic Violence explores the response to domestic violence today, not only by the criminal justice system, but also by public and non-profit social service and health care agencies. After providing a brief theoretical overview of the causes of domestic violence and its prevalence in our society, the authors cover such key topics as barriers to intervention, variations in arrest practices, the role of state and federal legislation, and case prosecution. Focusing on both victims and offenders, the book includes unique chapters on models for judicial intervention, domestic violence and health, and children and domestic violence. In addition, this edition provides an in-depth discussion of the concept of coercive control in domestic violence and its importance in understanding victim needs. Finally, this volume includes international perspectives in order to broaden the reader's understanding of alternative responses to the problem of domestic violence.