NOT ALL HOMES are happy places. For some people, home is a dangerous and frightening place. Ally's story is similar to that of many abuse survivors. Ally was frequently beaten by her alcoholic mother and as a result was afraid to go home. Ally remembers, "I used to get this twisted feeling in my gut when the school bus was about to drop me back at home." Behind the closed doors of homes like Ally's, family members hurt each other. When abuse occurs among members of a family it is called family violence.

Child abuse, domestic violence, and elder abuse all fall under the heading of family violence. Unlike other forms of violent crime, in cases of family violence, the very people who would ordinarily be expected to love and protect the victim are the ones who cause the pain. In addition, the violent family member often hurts...