Richard James Gelles
Encyclopedia
Richard J. Gelles is an American writer. He is currently a dean at the University of Pennsylvania
and holds The Joanne and Raymond Welsh Chair of Child Welfare and Family Violence in the School of Social Policy & Practice. He is the Director for the Center for Research on Youth & Social Policy and Co-Director of the Field Center for Children's Policy Practice & Research.
Gelles is an internationally known expert in domestic violence
and child welfare
. He was influential in the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997.
in Maine in 1968. In 1970 he graduated with a M.A. in sociology in 1970 from the University of Rochester, and Gelles received a Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire
in 1973.
Gelles also co-authored Current Controversies on Family Violence (2005) with M. Cavanaugh and D. Loseke. He is currently in the process of co-authoring another text, Intimate Violence and Abuse in Families.
Dr. Gelles reports personal attacks (such as death threats against him and his colleagues and bomb threats phoned in to their conferences) related to their findings that the rate of assault by women on male partners is about the same as the rate by men on female partners.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and holds The Joanne and Raymond Welsh Chair of Child Welfare and Family Violence in the School of Social Policy & Practice. He is the Director for the Center for Research on Youth & Social Policy and Co-Director of the Field Center for Children's Policy Practice & Research.
Gelles is an internationally known expert in domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
and child welfare
Child welfare
Child protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability...
. He was influential in the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997.
Education
Gelles received a B.A. from Bates CollegeBates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
in Maine in 1968. In 1970 he graduated with a M.A. in sociology in 1970 from the University of Rochester, and Gelles received a Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
in 1973.
Publications
Dr. Gelles is the author of the highly influential book, The Violent Home, which was the first systematic investigation to provide empirical data on domestic violence. His more recent books, The Book of David: How Preserving Families Can Cost Children's Lives and Intimate Violence in Families, Third Edition, have also made a significant impact in the study of child welfare and family violence. He is the author of 24 books and more than 100 articles, chapters and papers.Gelles also co-authored Current Controversies on Family Violence (2005) with M. Cavanaugh and D. Loseke. He is currently in the process of co-authoring another text, Intimate Violence and Abuse in Families.
Dr. Gelles reports personal attacks (such as death threats against him and his colleagues and bomb threats phoned in to their conferences) related to their findings that the rate of assault by women on male partners is about the same as the rate by men on female partners.