Table Of ContentCase Studies in
Family Violence
Case Studies in
Family Violence
Edited by
Robert T. Ammerman
Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
and
Michel Hersen
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
Llbrary of Congress Catalogfng-ln-Publlcatlon Data
Case studles in family violence I edited by Robert T. Ammerman and
Michel Hersen.
p. cm.
Includes bibllographlcal references and Index.
ISBN 978-0-306-43649-9
1. Family violence--United States--Case studies. I. Ammerman,
Robert T. II. Hersen, Mlchel.
H0809.3.U5C37 1990
362.82'92--dc20 90-49558
CIP
ISBN 978-0-306-43649-9 ISBN 978-1-4757-9582-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-9582-0
10987654
© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1991
AII righ ts reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
From Robert to his father
From Michel to Victoria
Contributors
Robert T. Ammerman, Department of Research and Clinical Psychology,
Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, Pittsburgh, Pennsylva
nia 15213
Susan M. Andersen, Department of Psychology, New York University,
New York, New York 10003
Teresa Ramirez Boulette, Santa Barbara County Mental Health Care
Services, Santa Barbara, California 93110
Marla R. Brassard, Office for the Study of the Psychological Rights of
the Child, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachu
setts 01030
Susan E. Briggs, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hos
pital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
Angela Browne, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts
Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655
Robert L. Burgess, Department of Human Development and Family
Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
16802
Naomi R. Cahn, Sex Discrimination Clinic, Georgetown University Law
Center, Washington, D.C. 20001
Barbara A. Carson, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology,
Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306
vii
viii Contributors
Judith A. Cohen, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric In
stitute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pitts
burgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Paul Cohen, Hutchings Psychiatric Center, Syracuse, New York 13210
Karen F. Drudy, John Merck Program, Western Psychiatric Institute and
Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsyl
vania 15213
Ellen R. Fisher, La Casa de las Madres, San Francisco, California 94103
Barbara Forsstrom-Cohen, Syracuse Public Schools, Syracuse, New York
13210
Ronita S. Giberson, Graham B. Dimmick Child Guidance Service, Com
prehensive Care Center, Lexington, Kentucky 40507
Edward W. Gondolf, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Univer
sity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213;
and Department of Sociology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indi
ana, Pennsylvania 15705
Arthur H. Green, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Col
lege of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Cen
ter, New York, New York 10032
David B. Hardy, Office for the Study of the Psychological Rights of the
Child, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
01030
Stuart N. Hart, School of Education, Indiana University-Purdue Univer
sity at Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
Michel Hersen, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute
and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania 15213
Richard L. Judd, Emergency Medical Sciences, Central Connecticut
State University, and Allied Medical Staff, New Britain General Hospital,
New Britain, Connecticut 06050
Contributors ix
Cheryl Carey Kent, Children's Evaluation Center, Los Angeles, Califor
nia 90020
Dean G. Kilpatrick, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of
South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
David J. Kolko, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute
and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania 15213
Lisa G. Lerman, Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of Amer
ica, Washington, D.C. 20064
Martin J. Lubetsky, John Merck Program, Western Psychiatric Institute
and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania 15213
Bruce K. Mac Murray, Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Crimi
nal Justice, Anderson University, Anderson, Indiana 46012
Anthony P. Mannarino, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric
Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pitts
burgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Edward R. McCarthy, Elder Home Care Services of Worcester Area,
Worcester, Massachusetts 01603
R. Kim Oates, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of
Sydney, and Division of Medicine and Child Protection Unit, The Chil
dren's Hospital, Camperdown, Sydney 2050, Australia
Heidi S. Resnick, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of
South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
Alan Rosenbaum, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachu
setts Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655
Mindy S. Rosenberg, Private Practice, 1505 Bridgeway, Suite 123, Sau
salito, California 94965
x Contributors
Daniel G. Saunders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wiscon
sin-Madison Medical School, and Family Service Program to Prevent
Woman Abuse, Madison, Wisconsin 53792
Amy H. Schwartz, Department of Psychology, New York University,
New York, New York 10003
Janet Stauffer, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute
and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania 15213
Lois J. Veronen, Human Development Center, Rock Hill, South Carolina
29730
Catherine Walsh, Private Practice, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina 29464
Rosalie S. Wolf, Institute on Aging, The Medical Center of Central
Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605
Preface
The past 20 years have seen the emergence of family violence as one of
the most critical problems facing society. The alarming incidence figures
of abuse and neglect directed toward family members justify this atten
tion. For example, over 1 million children are thought to be abused and
neglected each year. Similarly, almost 2 million women are victims of
wife battering each year. Annual rates of elderly mistreatment are
thought to be as high as 32 per 1000 population. Accurate epidemiologi
cal data only now are being compiled on more recently recognized forms
of mistreatment, such as psychological abuse, ritualistic abuse of chil
dren, and child witnessing of adult violence. The pervasiveness of do
mestic mistreatment makes it a priority for clinicians and researchers
alike.
For clinicians, intrafamilial violence represents a formidable chal
lenge with respect to assessment and treatment. The etiology of abuse
and neglect is multidetermined. There are numerous pathways in the
development of family violence, and these interact and converge in a
nonlinear fashion. The consequences of family violence are equally com
plex and divergent. Victims of mistreatment can display a variety of
physical injuries and psychological disturbances. No single psychiatric
syndrome or symptom constellation has been consistently implicated in
any form of family mistreatment. The perpetrators of family violence are
equally heterogeneous in their clinical presentations. Illustrative dys
functions in perpetrators include skill deficits, substance abuse, mental
illness, and impulse-control disorders. The clinician must administer a
comprehensive assessment battery, select the level of intervention (i.e.,
individual, family, or group therapy), and choose the appropriate treat
ment. This is conducted within the context of the involvement of other
professionals and organizations, including medical, legal, and social ser
vices. Balancing the clinical needs of the family with the sometimes
competing interests of other disciplines requires extensive and polished
case-management skills.
xi
