Ouch! Why Did You Do That?

Abstract

Reviews the book, Feeling hurt in close relationships by Anita L. Vangelisti (see record 2009-07698-000). "Hurt feelings usually precede anger," often said psychiatrist Herbert Cohen, a mentor to many Washington, DC, therapists. Having held that pearl for decades, I welcomed Feeling Hurt in Close Relationships with enthusiasm. The book opens up areas of exploration and action that bring scholarship down to earth and support good clinical practice. The book is divided into four sections: Conceptualizing Hurt, Hurtful Acts, Hurt in Relational Contexts (among children; in families; and between adults as friends, romantic partners, and postdivorce), and Hurt in Applied Contexts (workplace, cultural context, mental and physical effects, technology). All but five chapters are coauthored. They present new data, summarize earlier studies, discuss theory, and recommend further research or application. Each has its own bibliography-a few over four pages. The book is meant for graduate students, scholars, researchers, and practitioners. The book provides new vistas for specialists in marriage, adult friendships, children's peer groups, family dynamics, postdivorce negotiations, victimology, forgiveness, trust, aggression and violence, bullying, effects on perpetrators, mental health, the workplace, the Internet, and cross-cultural studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)