Conclusion: Toppling the Silos

Abstract

Recognizing the interrelationships among different forms of victimization and perpetration provides a promising opportunity to develop more powerful theories of interpersonal violence and more effective approaches to prevention and intervention. Considerable, even remarkable, progress has been made in the last 50 years in establishing violence as a major social problem. Many formerly hidden and taboo types of violence, such as child sexual abuse, physical abuse, and intimate partner violence, are now recognized as serious public health problems and not the aberrant behavior of a deviant few. The study of each of these types of violence has led to important insights and interventions that have helped countless adults and children. There are hopeful indicators that several forms of violence are on the decline, as are attitudes endorsing violent solutions to a wide range of stressful interpersonal situations.