Violence in Context: Current Evidence on Risk, Protection, and Prevention

Public and academic interest in youth and community violence has grown with school shootings, horrific cases of child abuse, and reports of domestic abuse becoming regular news features. Research on interpersonal violence has had a corresponding progression, but there is a tendency by researchers to examine these issues at the individual level, rather than considering the micro- and macro-level causes, correlates, and outcomes for those affected directly and indirectly by violence. Edited by four leading violence researchers, Violence in Context takes the more systemic view, offering a critical appraisal of research and theory that focuses on violence in youth, families, and communities. Authors investigate the ways in which violence is defined and understood, how risk and protective factors promote and inhibit violence in the groups most responsible for the socialization of youth, and how violence and related behaviors differ by gender, race, and ethnicity. A rich analysis of the field familiarizes readers with some of the most compelling approaches to violence prevention, including interventions that begin at infancy with families at risk. Every chapter examines the latest research on violence prevention, with a goal of moving towards the multi-system, integrated intervention models and approaches that will incorporate the social context of violence across settings and population subgroups. The result is a valuable interdisciplinary book for scholars, practitioners, and students that provides a comprehensive overview of published studies, limitations of research findings, and a thoughtful discussion of the ways in which future research can build on what is currently known about the causes, consequences, and prevention of violence in different settings.

Table of Contents:
SECTION 1: Definitions and Measurement of Interpersonal Violence across Settings Chapter 1: The Context of Violence Todd I. Herrenkohl, Eugene Aisenberg, James Herbert Williams, and Jeffrey M. Jenson Chapter 2: Defining Violence Eugene Aisenberg, Amelia Gavin, Gita Mehrotra, and Jennifer Bowman SECTION 2: Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Violence: Variations by Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Chapter 3: Race and Ethnic Differences in Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Youth Violence James Herbert Williams, Charlotte Lyn Bright, and Granger Petersen Chapter 4: Gender Differences in Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Youth Violence Charlotte Lyn Bright, James Herbert Williams, and Granger Petersen SECTION 3: The Context of Family Violence and Co-Occurring Risks for Children: Implications for Prevention Chapter 5: Family Violence and Co-Occurring Risk Factors for Children Exposed to Violence Todd I. Herrenkohl Chapter 6: Resilience and Protection from Violence Exposure in Children: Implications for Prevention and Intervention Programs with Vulnerable Populations Todd I. Herrenkohl SECTION 4: Preventing Youth Violence in Family, School, and Community Contexts: Implications for Integrated Programs and Policy Development Chapter 7: Advances and Challenges in the Prevention of Youth Violence Jeffrey M. Jenson Chapter 8: Effective Violence Prevention Approaches in School, Family, and Community Settings Jeffrey M. Jenson, Anne Powell, and Shandra Forrest-Bank SECTION 5: Future Considerations for the Study and Prevention of Violence Chapter 9: Culture, Intersectionality, and Interrelatedness of Forms of Violence: Considerations in the Study of Violence and Violence Prevention Eugene Aisenberg, Gita Mehrotra, Amelia Gavin, and Jennifer Bowman Chapter 10: Lessons and Challenges in the Study and Prevention of Violence Todd I. Herrenkohl, Eugene Aisenberg, James Herbert Williams, and Jeffrey M. Jenson