About the Author

Jennifer Pierce-Weeks, manager of the Forensic Nurse Examiner Program at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Spring, Colorado, is a past-president of the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) and has served on the IAFN Board since 2006. She previously served for twelve years as the director of the State of New Hampshire Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program. She has 23 years nursing experience and is an educator and expert in the areas of child and adult sexual assault, as well as domestic violence. Randell Alexander is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Florida and the Morehouse School of Medicine. He currently serves as chief of the Division of Child Protection and Forensic Pediatrics and interim chief of the Division of Developmental Pediatrics at the University of Florida-Jacksonville. In addition, he is the statewide medical director of child protections teams for the Department of Health's Children's Medical Services and is part of the International Advisory Board for the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome. He has also served as vice chair of the US Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, on the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the boards of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and Prevent Child Abuse America. Randell Alexander has served on state child death review committees in Iowa, Georgia, and Florida, and two regional child death review committees. He is an active researcher, lectures widely, and testifies frequently in major child abuse cases throughout the country. Karyn Holt is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. A nurse educator for over thirteen years, she is an experienced educator teaching both traditionally and online. She is a well-known distance education speaker tracing the development of education through the millennium transition and beyond. She is also a Certified Nurse Midwife and finds teaching both patients and students to be her passion in life. She has been a nurse midwife for sixteen years. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing with Nurse Midwifery specialization and certification from Georgetown University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Science from Touro University.

Reviews

Violence Against Women: A Contemporary Examination of Intimate Partner Violence is a comprehensive overview of violence perpetrated against women. Experts share their knowledge, from understanding the scope of the problem, to assessment and treatment while including a review of multifaceted legal issues. Emphasized is the need for cross training and cooperation among professionals of different disciplines. The text discusses that the distinctly different intervention systems for child abuse and intimate partner violence can make it very difficult for victims to navigate. An integrated approach that may include co-located services to provide better support for victims of intimate partner violence and their children is suggested. Child abuse professionals will benefit by gaining a better understanding of intimate partner violence, the significant impact on children, and the need for professionals to employ a collaborative approach.Dan Powers, ACSW, LCSW
Sr. Vice President, Clinical Services
Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County, Plano, TX Intimate Partner Violence is on the rise in today's society. This book, Violence Against Women, is a well-articulated and comprehensive view of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and provides a detailed roadmap of how Law Enforcement, Social Services, Health Care, and other advocates must rise up and attack this growing problem. Breaking the cycle of violence takes a team, and these professionals provide knowledge and experience that should be studied by those charged with assisting victims in these times of need. In cases of IPV, victims are not always obvious, children and relatives also suffer. This book, written by professionals in the field of IPV, not only covers many aspects of this violation, but also provides methods and ideology that will help to empower providers to help victims survive and escape this terror.Jeff Rich, Detective
Sexual Assault/Family Violence Investigator
Family Violence Unit
Criminal Investigations Division
Plano Police Department
Plano, Texas Violence Against Women is a critical and comprehensive tool for anyone in the field of social work or mental health. The text provides a clear understanding of the complex and often overlapping factors that contribute to both victimization and perpetration of violence. It is applicable for a broad audience and provides valuable tools for the multi-disciplinary team approach needed to address this issue. The text educates the reader on the lasting effects of violence against women from a global standpoint and also provides valuable insight into effective therapeutic responses across cultures and victim populations. Specific chapters which address child maltreatment and the commercial sexual exploitation of women and children offer new perspectives for systemic responses to both parents and children in the child protection system. While social workers and mental health professionals will utilize the theoretical and clinical approaches recommended within the text, law enforcement professionals will gain valuable investigation insights, medical professionals will benefit from assessment techniques and victim dynamics identified, and prosecutors will gain tools to successfully maneuver through the unique legal components of these types of crimes. This is truly a must read for anyone who advocates for the vulnerable in our society.Sally Howard
Court Appointed Special Advocates Collin County, Texas
Child Welfare Specialist and Educator