To Know from Eckstein (2004)

• AtP abuse – types it can involve• Characteristics common to these Rel’s• Process of progression/escalation• Parent-perceived family roles

– Inside family– Outside family

Discipline

• Age-appropriate?

• Punishment proportional to fault?

• Consistent?

• Explained?

Family Concepts

• Pre-1980 View: – “what happens behind closed doors is no one else’s

business”

• Why Families?– – –

History

1. Child Victimization• Infanticide• Child labor• Child abuse

• Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children• Sexual abuse

2. Wife Abuse• Laws right to hit wives

• 1870's - • 1960's-1970's -

• Rape• 1979 -

3. Courtship Violence & Date Rape – 19814. Elder Abuse – 1981-19825. Adolescent-to-parent abuse6. Husband abuse

Today…• – 8.5 million cases (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000)

• 5.3 female victims• 3.2 male victims

• – In one year (2007), 794,000 victims of abuse/neglect (Child Maltreatment, 2007)

• 59% neglect • 10.8% physically• 7.6% sexually• 4.2% emotionally/psychologically • < 1% medically neglected• 13.1% of all child victims - "other" types maltreatment (e.g., abandonment,

threats of harm, congenital drug addiction)•

– 18% of population (severe physical at least once/year) (Straus, Gelles, Steinmetz, 1980)

– Goes up to 29% for one-parent families •

– Most prevalent form (Straus & Gelles, 1988)

• 800 out of 1000 hit bro or sis• More than ½ engage in severe violence• Two-thirds (66.6%) ages 15-17 assault sibling at least once

• (NCEA, 2005)

– 1 - 2 million Americans (age 65 or older) – by “protectors”– 2% to 10% of population

Family Systems Theory Applied• Not isolated indiv’s• Systems - interconnected & interdependent

• Family – expectat’s for each member

• Family – regulat’s about how operate – Mostly unspoken– Pttrns dvlp become “unspoken rules” – Family view = “just way it is”

• Systems dvlp – These “ways” are reliable & predictable – Comprised of Roles & Rules

• (System Equilibrium) – Constant pull on system NOT to CHANGE– System seeks to continue “usual” functioning

Cycle of Family SystemsApplied to Violence

• Always wonder…– How get in cycle? Who starts?

• Family systms thry view: chicken/egg?– impossible to answer b/c…

• – Each member’s behav caused by (affects) &

causes (effects) others’ behav’s

Ultimately…

• Our behav may be…– Personality… – but always…– SYSTEM of FAMILY

Perpetrator

Observer Victim

Victim

Victim

Perpetrator

Observer

Observer

Perpetrator

Ney (1992)