The primary goal of the book is not to impart knowledge about what the actual laws are with regard to domestic violence, but rather to provide an overview of the principal legal issues raised by domestic violence situations and to enable the reader to think critically about those issues. The four introductory chapters cover some of the history of the legal system's response to domestic violence, both in the United States and internationally. They also examine what causes domestic violence, what effects the abuse has on the victims, and what approaches are effective in trying to rehabilitate perpetrators. These chapters give attention to the issue of racism as related to the domestic violence movement and the legal system's response to domestic violence, as well as to gay and lesbian domestic violence issues. The second section of the book deals with the response to domestic violence by the civil legal system in the United States. The four chapters focus on tort actions between victim and perpetrator, civil restraining orders, children in homes where domestic violence occurs, and alternative dispute resolution. The five chapters in the third section of the book feature discussions of the response of the criminal justice system to domestic violence, including the response of law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges. The four chapters in the fourth and last section of the book deal with issues that do not fit neatly into the civil or criminal categories typically used in the U.S. legal system.