Federal Responses to Domestic Violence: The Family Violence Prevention & Services Act & the Violence Against Women Act

Family violence broadly refers to acts of physical and sexual violence and emotional abuse perpetrated by individuals against family members. The federal government has responded to various forms of family violence, including violence involving spouses and other intimate partners, children, and the elderly. The focus of this book is on the federal response to domestic violence under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). Domestic violence is used in this book to describe violence among intimate partners, including those involved in dating relationships. A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that approximately 7 million women and 5.7 million men experienced physical violence, rape, and/or stalking by their intimate partners in 2010. Also that year, 16.6 million women and 20.5 million men experienced emotional abuse by their intimate partners, such as attempting to keep victims from communicating with loved ones. Domestic violence is associated with multiple negative outcomes for victims, including mental and physical health effects.