Global Perspectives on Family Violence

Abstract Family violence is an act or threat of physical, sexual, or psychological violence perpetrated against one individual by another who is related through marriage or family. Family violence encompasses child abuse and neglect, sibling abuse, parent/in-law abuse, elder abuse, and intimate partner violence. Children exposed to family violence may experience negative short- and long-term physiological and psychosocial effects. Family violence, its prevalence, and its impacts have been studied worldwide. This chapter reviews global rates of family violence, how conceptualizations of family violence vary across countries, and how different types of family violence contribute to short- and long-term consequences for children. We focus on Mexico and Sweden as case studies to examine how families and children are affected by family violence in these unique cultural contexts.