"Physical, psychological, and sexual abuse among intimate partners, commonly known as domestic violence, but more recently as intimate partner violence or IPV, is a significant social and public health problem in the United States and worldwide. IPV had long been considered private by law enforcement, rarely investigated by social science researchers, and poorly understood by mental health professionals. In the 1980s, a series of well-publicized court cases, such as Thurman v. City of Torrington (1985), brought to light the grossly inadequate law enforcement response at the time, which allowed repeat offenders to avoid prosecution while their partners continued to be victimized, often fatally. In response, a grassroots victim advocacy movement established shelter and other services for victims while lobbying state legislatures across the United States, and subsequently to Canada, the U.K., and other nations, to enact new laws that would hold offenders accountable (Buzawa & Buzawa, 2002; Russell, 2010)"-- Provided by publisher.

Part I:Overview of research on domestic violence -- Introduction: The problem with the gender paradigm / John Hamel and Brenda Russell -- What we currently know about the prevalence, causes and dynamics of intimate partner violence / Elizabeth A. Bates and Alexandra Papamichail -- The law enforcement response to intimate partner violence : toward a gender-neutral approach / Brenda Russell and Emily Seisler -- Part II: Litigation -- Gender, sex, and the prosecution of intimate partner violence / Jennifer Cox, Elizabeth MacNeil and Hannah Lind -- Challenges and strategies in mounting a legal defense in intimate partner violence criminal cases / Charles Dresow -- Intimate partner homicides and the battered person syndrome / John Hamel, Don Dutton, and Alexandra Lysova -- Jury decision-making : understanding and overcoming bias in the courtroom / Brenda Russell and Blake McKimmie -- Part III: Family law -- Guidelines for domestic violence and child custody litigation / David Pisarra -- Custody and intervention recommendations in family law cases : a gender-inclusive framework / John Hamel and Kelly Baker -- The same coin : intimate partner violence, child abuse, and parental alienation / Jennifer Harman and Edward Kruk -- Part IV: Evidence-based interventions -- Holding perpetrators accountable : evidence-based interview and assessment procedures / John Hamel and Liam Ennis -- Risk-needs-responsivity informed approaches to batterer intervention treatment / Amie Roberts -- Couples and family interventions for intimate partner violence / Victoria E. Bennett, Janella Chu, Deanna Pollard, and Julia Babcock -- Restorative justice alternatives / Briana Barocas and Rei Shimizu -- Afterword: Recommendations and resources / John Hamel, Brenda Russell, Don Dutton and Jennifer Cox.