Domestic violence is an issue that reaches far and wide in the United States and does not discriminate between race, class, gender, or sexuality. Understanding the risk factors that can lead to domestic violence is important to understand and keep loved ones safe. There is an unidentified number of people and families who suffer from this particular type of abuse every day and being able to identify it and helping these individuals is important not only for their physical health, but their mental, emotional, psychological, financial, and even their family’ health and wellbeing. Many of these articles highlight causes for domestic violence, how to recognize it, and the prevalence of this type of abuse in American homes. Many also address the effect it can have on families and children, domestic violence often going hand in hand with child maltreatment and trauma. This is an important topic to learn more about and understanding causes or ways to leave a dangerous situation safely could save someone’s life.

• Bates, L. M., Schuler, S. R., & Islam, F. (2004). Socioeconomic factors and processes associated with domestic violence in rural Bangladesh. International Family Planning Perspectives, 30(4), 190– 199. 8
• Berlinger, J. (2004). Taking an intimate look at domestic violence. Nursing, 34(10), 42–46.
• Burman, E., & Chantler, K. (2005). Domestic violence and minoritisation: Legal and policy barriers facing minoritized women leaving violent relationships. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 28(1), 59–74.
• Gilbert, B., Stewart, A., Hurren, E., Little, S., & Allard, T. (2022). Exploring dual-system involvement for domestic violence victimization and child maltreatment perpetration: An exploration by gender and race/ethnicity. Child Abuse & Neglect, 124: 105440.
• Hamberger, L., Ambuel, B., & Guse, C. (2007). Racial differences in battered women’s experiences and preferences for treatment from physicians. Journal of Family Violence, 22(5), 259–265.
• Phillips, A. (2021). How to end the cycle of domestic violence: Policies focused on children. Barry Law Child and Family Law Journal, 9, 55-76.
• Radatz, D. L., Richards, T. N., Murphy, C. M., Nitsch, L. J., Green-Manning, A., Brokmeier, A. M., & Holliday, C. N. (2021). Integrating ‘principles of effective intervention’ into domestic violence intervention programs: new opportunities for change and collaboration. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 46(4), 609-625.
• Trinh, O. T. H., Oh, J., Choi, S., To, K. G., & Do, D. V. (2016). Changes and socioeconomic factors associated with attitudes towards domestic violence among Vietnamese women aged 15–49: findings from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, 2006–2011. Global health action, 9(1), 29577.
• Verma, P., Hafiz, A., Douglas, C. A., Mantilla, K., Harris, J. C., & Simpson, J. (2005). Domestic violence causes significant health problems in women across the globe. Off Our Backs, 35(11/12), 4–5.
• Wilt, S., & Olson, S. (1996). Prevalence of domestic violence in the United States. Jamwa, 51(3), 77- 82.

1. Wilt and Olson (1996) quote in their article, “One-half of Texas women who had been abused in the previous year (including those sexually and psychologically abused) reported that abuse took place when the male partner was drinking.” Discuss why alcohol and abuse tend to be related within domestic violence situations and use context from the article to explain your answer.
2. Pick one statistic/point made in Berlinger (2004) that surprised you and explain why. This can include anything from the article, but relate it back to gender, race, class, or privilege.
3. Explain what Burman and Chantler (2005) mean by cycle of violence and how being exposed to this trauma can carry on through generations.
4. Burman and Chantler (2004) link trauma signs from domestic violence and PTSD. Explain the similarities between the two as it pertains to trauma signs.
5. Explain in detail what the Colorado model is, as described in Gilbert et al. (2022), and how this model works to help victims and reduce misconceptions and biases in victims. Address how victims in lower socioeconomic classes could be negatively affected by this model.
6. Explain the House of Ruth Maryland’s Gateway Project and how it relates to helping victims of any race or background. Use the link to the website to help explain the history and what services they provide.
7. Hamberger, Ambuel and Guse (2007) address race and gender in domestic violence situations. Answer one of the research questions presented by the authors: What is the impact of gender on the circumstances of domestic violence and how is the nature of child maltreatment perpetrated? Use evidence from the study in your answer.