So as to avoid ending up at a "family affair": contributions to the debate on domestic violence

Abstract

This article explores the theme of the relations holding between family and violence. It takes into account the central role the family plays in the tragedies of contemporary society both when guilty of violence or when a victim to it. Starting with a discussion of some data on violence in the family context and of the existing consensus about the need to implement actions likely to reduce the problem, the paper considers the paradigms informing the interpretation of the topic in question. The paradigmatic axes highlighted are those of normativity and stability and those of conflict and transformation. From these, a new critical interdisciplinary interface is constructed as a path to interpretation. This discussion aims to offer contributions to the debate on processes of professional intervention in the field of domestic violence. Even working from the point of view of the defense of victims, the study activates different forms of analyzing family-violence relations.