Psychological Perspectives on Understanding and Addressing Violence Against Children: Towards Building Cultures of Peace

Psychological Perspectives on Understanding and Addressing Violence Against Children argues that in order to achieve comprehensive responses to violence against children (VAC), scholars and practitioners must develop a robust understanding of how direct, structural, and cultural forms of violence interact across social systems. This understanding of VAC motivates a multi-sectoral response that seeks to promote intergenerational health and well-being through addressing violence in all its forms.

This volume is organized into three interconnected sections that explore violence across socioecological domains: violence against children in social macrosystems, violence against children in social microsystems, and ways to address VAC in practice and policy. With chapters highlighting diverse methodological approaches, context-specific case studies, and approaches to redress violence through practice and policy, this volume is designed to be a resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working to prevent VAC.

Dr. Scott Moeschberger is a Professor of Global Studies at Taylor University, where he launched an interdisciplinary problem-based major focused on vulnerable children. He has served as a President of Division 48 (Society for Peace Psychology) in the American Psychological Association. His early research focused on contact, empathy and forgiveness in divided societies, and evolved to include the role of divisive symbols, culminating in an edited book Symbols that Unite; Symbols That Divide. He teaches a wide variety of courses, including "Working with Orphaned and Vulnerable Children", "Peace Psychology", and "Violence Against Children".

Dr. Laura Miller-Graff is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. She is a clinical psychologist, with experience in both research and practice with children and families exposed to violence. Her research examines the developmental and intergenerational effects of exposure to violence. Working within an ecological framework, Dr. Miller-Graff's research seeks to understand how various systems (i.e., individual, family, and community) interact to promote or inhibit healthful development following violence exposure. Dr. Miller-Graff's program of research also focuses on the development and evaluation of psychological supports for violence-exposed children and families.