Responding to domestic violence : the integration of criminal justice and human services / created by Eve S. Buzawa, Lowell, Carl G. Buzawa, and Evan D. Stark

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- What is domestic violence? -- Defining the problem -- Matters of history, faith, and society -- Theoretical approaches -- The criminal justice response -- Barriers to intervention -- The impetus for change -- Policing domestic violence -- Prosecuting domestic violence -- The role of restraining orders -- The judicial response -- The societal response -- Mandated institutional change -- Community based and court sponsored diversions -- Domestic violence, health, and the health system response -- Domestic violence, children, and the institutional response -- Conclusion: towards the prevention of domestic violence : challenges and -- Opportunities.

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.