Family History, Family Violence: A Review Essay

The Dynamics of Battering Revisited

“…In the United States, the institution of marriage was idealized in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The permeating social value was that the family should be preserved at almost any cost (Carp, 1991). According to Gelles and Loseke (1993), the historical emphasis on the sanctity of the family resulted in the tendency to underestimate the prevalence and severity of spousal abuse.…”

“…The issue became a target for public concern in the mid-1970s, when feminist groups brought pressure on police departments, social agencies, and state and federal governments to prosecute wife batterers and establish shelters for battered women (Carp, 1991). These efforts led to the establishment of more than 1,250 shelters for battered women by the 1990s, increasing access to peer counseling, support groups, information on their legal rights, and referrals to social service and welfare agencies and legal advocacy groups (Roberts, 1996).…”