... back as 1640. In the first wave of legal reform, "the Puritans of colonial Massachusetts enacted the first laws anywhere in the world against wife beating" (Cohen 42). According to Elizabeth Pleck, the religious morality behind the law gave way to state tolerance and indifference toward wife beating as the community grew more pluralistic. It wouldn't be until the nineteenth century ... for funding of victim services. Through research and evaluation, these groups have not only refined the implementation of law, but have also shaped the language and theory surrounding domestic violence. I...

• Word Count: 2411
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate