Abstract
Much of the work on family violence, adult-on-adult violence, relies heavily on the characteristics of potential victims and
offenders to explain the causes of violence. Family environment-related factors which can be represented by family organization,
resources and stability have received relatively little attention. Those who live in a small family (or alone) may have a
lower level of interaction with family members and a much lower risk of physical abuse compared to those living in larger
family units. Also, the social organization or functionality of a family, which can be assumed from its structure and the
relationships among its members, is likely to be related to the onset of violence. For those living in stable and wealthy
families, violence may occur less often as a result of a reduced chance of conflict or family struggle. Findings of the current
study show that the family environment differentiates the chances of victimization by family members.
offenders to explain the causes of violence. Family environment-related factors which can be represented by family organization,
resources and stability have received relatively little attention. Those who live in a small family (or alone) may have a
lower level of interaction with family members and a much lower risk of physical abuse compared to those living in larger
family units. Also, the social organization or functionality of a family, which can be assumed from its structure and the
relationships among its members, is likely to be related to the onset of violence. For those living in stable and wealthy
families, violence may occur less often as a result of a reduced chance of conflict or family struggle. Findings of the current
study show that the family environment differentiates the chances of victimization by family members.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category ORIGINAL ARTICLE
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s10896-012-9432-6
- Authors
- Ji Hyon Kang, Crime Trend and Statistics Center, Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC), 114 Taebong-no, Seoul, 137-715 South Korea
- Journal Journal of Family Violence
- Online ISSN 1573-2851
- Print ISSN 0885-7482