Winter 2013
From the Special Editor
Donald “Rick” Froyd, Jr., Ph.D.
Welcome to the Winter 2013 edition of Human Services Today. It is my honor and privilege to
have been invited to be the Guest Editor of a Special Topics Edition focusing on intimate partner
violence (IPV) and other forms of family violence. I also included an article in this edition on
self-injury, since that is violence to the self; another type of violence associated with individuals,
couples, and families.
The authors contributing work to this special topics edition highlight the alarming prevalence of
IPV and the effect of this violence on the victims and the children. This edition offers a wealth
of information on intimate partner violence including: (a) useful information regarding risk
assessment instruments to predict assault from an intimate partner, (b) the key role mental health
treatment plays in improving victims’ lives as they leave a violent relationship, (c) an efficacious
identification and prevention program for adolescents struggling with IPV, and (d) recent
advances in the utility of using violence and batterer typologies for a more focused and nuanced
understanding of IPV, which can lead to more appropriate recommendations for treatment.
Dr. Debra Wilson and Whitney Gass responded to our call for papers to provide a review of
several assessment instruments useful for predicting the risk of assault from an intimate partner.
Dr. Wilson and Ms. Gass are affiliated with Southern Arkansas University. Dr. Wilson and
Ms. Gass highlight the importance of ensuring victim safety using appropriately reliable and
valid risk prediction instruments.
Drs. Sean Worthy, Brian Bagwell, and Tricia Hudson provide the results of a study
conducted by an alliance of agencies in which they explored the effect of treatment provided to
the non-offending partner and the children from families experiencing IPV. The results of their
investigation indicated that early mental health intervention plays a key role for improving the
lives of the non-offending parent and the children leaving violent intimate relationships.
Drs. Worthy, Bagwell, and Hudson are affiliated with the Metropolitan State University of
Denver.