This course is a senior level, advanced, in-depth seminar on the
problems of marital and family violence.  Approximately the first half
of the semester will be spent on the issue of husband violence, examining
such issues as the prevalence and consequences of this problem, why
husband violence is considered more of a problem than wife violence,
theories of male intimate violence, what steps battered women take to
end the violence in their lives, available therapy interventions and
outcome data on their effectiveness, and the consequences of marital
violence on children.  The second half of the course will cover other
forms of family violence, with a primary focus on child abuse, but with
some coverage of child-to-parent violence, sibling violence, and elder
abuse.  The course focuses heavily on available empirical evidence,
gathered in research studies, to uncover what we "know" about husband
and family violence.
All readings will be from primary sources (e.g., journal
articles). There is no text; rather, students will check out readings from
the library reserve desk.  Readings will be extensive (e.g., up to 4-7
articles per week).
The class format is a small and interactive seminar.  The professor
will provide some lectures, primarily covering the materials to ensure
that students understood the readings.  But much of the class will
involve discussion, and attendance and active participation are counted in
a students' grade.  This class in run in the same format as a graduate
level course, with a similar level of involvement expected and a similar
amount of material covered.
Grading:  Not determined yet.  Most likely, will involve one essay
mid-term exam (covering the husband violence material).  In addition,
students will probably be asked to do a presentation and paper on a
topic from the second half of the course, assigning a reading to the class
and leading a class discussion on their topic.  May be a final exam, but
this has not yet been determined.  As noted above, attendance and class
participation will be counted.
Instructor: The instructor has been conducting research on husband
violence for over 15 years.  She also has led batterer treatment
groups, co-led support groups for battered women,   and teaches a graduate
level therapy practicum on marital therapy.
Office hours: To be announced in class.
Prerequisites: P101 and 102 (or P151 and 152); K300; P211.
Recommended: P324.  Note that this is a senior level course for
Students who have an extensive background in psychology.
Note: Class will be limited to 20 students.