This volume is a unique collection of high-quality published journal articles which address the subject of domestic violence. Being international in flavour, all articles succeed in contributing to debates on the future direction of social policy and practice in this field, either presenting new empirical data, advancing theories or highlighting new areas for further research. It will prove informative especially for students of (family) law, but also to a wider range of scholars and practitioners in psychology, women's studies, history, politics and violence against women in its widest sense.

The volume is split into nine parts: definition; research and violence against women; the justice response; criminal law; a human rights question; coping, staying leaving; mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution; children; and ethnic minority victims. Limited space precludes a full description of the volume's contents; suffice to give a flavour for the areas I found chiefly influential.

The historical overview locates domestic violence as an age-old problem within a patriarchal society of male domination: domestic violence is about male power and control over females. Also of interest is that it shows how the place of law in domestic violence cases not only perpetuates the problem, but rather has had a hand in constructing it, as Freeman asserts: ‘the law at one time not only permitted a husband corporally to chastise his wife, but expected him to do it’ (p. xvi). One fascinating point is that the volume refers to one of the earliest recorded cases of domestic violence, which occurred in 1395.

I was particularly interested in part three, wherein Jordan shows how victims of domestic violence experience unique problems once they enter the criminal justice system. On the one hand, there are criminal justice interventions and, on the other, civil remedies, such as protection orders, addressing the perpetrator's crime and the victim's safety respectively. This interface provides a two-prong attack to the problem of domestic violence. However, research findings have evidenced disparity in the effectiveness of both interventions. Lewis et al. then argue that women who are victims of domestic violence are not merely passive recipients of legal intervention. Moreover, they are active agents within that process, as they take action to survive the abuse through challenge and resistance. However, the authors move on to explain ways in which the law nevertheless serves to sustain their oppression. Herman explains how the views of victims of violent crime do not easily sit within either retributive or restorative models of justice.

Part eight is devoted the subject of children in domestic violence contexts, with Bruch discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, the fundamental principle of which is to restore the status quo for the abducted child to be returned to the habitual residence. However, child abduction in domestic violence cases presents a very complex picture and the author shows how exceptions to this basic rule offer scope for protection to the abused party. Parkinson and Humphreys then give a disturbing account of the effects on children of experiencing domestic violence either directly or indirectly, and observe these effects in the context of child protection issues. Should readers of this review not go on to acquire the volume itself (and I strongly recommend that they do), above all else, it is very important that the conclusion reached by the authors is conveyed in its entirety:

What is especially interesting in the way the Editor has selected articles for inclusion in this volume is that there are many cross-references to the same source in support of theoretical or methodological stance and findings. In this way, learning is reinforced and opposing opinions on an issue give rise to developing informed critique on the part of the reader. Also on a positive note, the term ‘target’ has been used instead of ‘victim’ by Astor in chapter 18 ‘because of the disempowering connotations of the frequently used “victim” which fails to recognise the strength of women who are the target of violence’ (p. 436 – footnote). As a researcher who has interviewed a large number of so-called ‘victims’ and ‘survivors’ of domestic and sexual violence, this turn in language appeals to me and is something to be considered for use within future work in this area.

Unfortunately, this volume may become out of date very quickly due to the fluid and ever-changing nature of legislation and social policies. For example, at the time of publication in 2000, Morris and Gelsthorpe state that the first specialist court to deal with family violence cases (specialist domestic violence court) ‘has recently been established in Leeds’ (p. 416). In fact, there are now over 100 SDVCs in England and Wales, representing a huge expansion of specialist criminal justice intervention in domestic violence in the last eight years. Readers must be mindful that policy statements, although correct at the time of writing, will need to be checked and verified through current research.

Regarding style, I found that an over-heavy reliance on footnotes distracts from textual flow of papers, albeit they provide a wealth of information on sources and additional reading. On a similar note, there is a multiplicity of font styles and sizes which can often affect the ‘flow’ of reading, particularly for readers with vision impairment. Also, spelling, grammar and punctuation errors appear quite often, ruining a good academic read. Importantly, mediation in domestic violence cases is rendered ridiculous when mediation becomes ‘meditation’ (p. 411)! This irritates me, but I presume this is an artefact of journal publication guidelines and copyright protocols.

One improvement to the volume might be to include a chapter on the (mental) health consequences for women (and children) who are the targets of domestic violence. This would lend more weight to many of the arguments presented in the volume about the deeply disturbing physical, emotional and psychological effects that living with violence causes. This would also provide much-needed context for readers with no previous knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon.

Finally, this volume is highly relevant in the current UK climate wherein a high profile is afforded domestic violence. ‘What works, why and how’ is the age-old battle cry of researchers and practitioners seeking evidence to why some men are violent and controlling towards their partners whilst others are not, the effects of abuse on its targets, and worthwhile interventions. This volume takes this debate and presents to its readers a number of theoretical, methodological, historical and political perspectives which contribute strongly to the debate. It shows how one answer may lie in the fluidity of government legislation and policies and thereafter how they are implemented in practice. It is perhaps this ever-changing landscape and fast-moving policy arena that is negatively influential in combating domestic violence.