ch. 1. Family violence and the life-course perspective -- ch. 2. Research methodology and the study of family violence and the life course -- ch. 3. Explaining family violence -- ch. 4. Violence at the beginning of the life course : child abuse and neglect -- ch. 5. Violence in early adulthood and beyond : violence between intimate partners -- ch. 6. Violence at the end of the life course : elder abuse and neglect -- ch. 7. The police and social service response to family violence -- ch. 8. The courts and family violence : issues and innovations -- ch. 9. Corrections and family violence : treatment and punishment issues -- ch. 10. Family violence over the life course and the collaborative response -- ch. 11. Family violence : a look back, recommendations, and a look to the future.