Addressing the Problem of Domestic Violence: How Far Have We Come?

Abstract

The social work profession has a complex and arguably problematic history in relation to the problem of domestic violence. Through a review of abstracts of social work articles published from 1985 to 2000, the authors sought to determine whether anything has changed since Davis’s (1987) seminal study regarding the way in which the profession addresses the problem of domestic violence. The findings indicate that although researchers have done a good job of listening to the voices of battered women, there has been scant theorizing in the literature about the sexist origins of the problem.