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June 2015 Vol. 52 No. 10

A longtime researcher of family violence, Alexander argues that the increased risk for abusive behavior observed as a function of experiences of trauma in childhood can be understood through the synthesis of attachment theory and family systems theory.  After summarizing attachment and family systems perspectives on trauma, she demonstrates that underlying insecurities can serve as precursors for disorganized attachment relationships and this can influence the context of parent-child relationships yet to come. Alexander points out that appreciating family context is critical for understanding familial dynamics that offer opportunities for bringing change to the family.  In chapter 5, the author focuses on various maltreatment experiences (bullying, peer victimization among children, dating violence, intimate partner violence) that serve as precursors to dysfunctional behavior later in life, and in the next chapter she explores the impact of childhood sexual abuse in greater detail.  The penultimate chapter addresses violence and trauma beyond the family, considering the impact on family violence of political terrorism, combat exposure, foster care and adoption, and parental incarceration.  Alexander closes with a discussion of cultural views of family violence and attachment relations to demonstrate how resilience can be found at various levels of analysis, from the neurobiological to the individual, the dyadic relationship, and the larger social context.

--R. B. Stewart Jr., Oakland University

Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.