Domestic violence has a devastating impact on partners, spouses, families and communities. This resource explores the toll of domestic violence and also the programs and reforms that have been crafted to intervene in abuse situations and provide assistance to victims.

This book helps readers understand the extent to which domestic violence permeates American society, the socioeconomic and psychological drivers of that violence, and efforts to reform legal and law enforcement systems to make their policies and practices more sensitive to those who have been abused and victimized, using quantifiable data as the foundation for examining every issue. It asks and answers questions related to root causes of domestic violence, risk factors, legal options for those who have been abused, and domestic violence prevention programs.