Drawing upon the expertise of a cadre of scholars and practitioners, this book has four parts: (1) conceptualizing violence and exploitation against females, (2) violence against girls and female adolescents, (3) violence against women, and (4) cultural and international perspectives on violence against women. Contributors place violence against women and girls within a variety of cultural and religious perspectives and also present theories of violence, the role of stereotyping, and the effect of violence in the larger community. The recent emergence of cyber violence, particularly against adolescents, is addressed, and several violence prevention programs are described. Violence against elderly women, disabled women, and pregnant women are addressed, as are the public health issues related to violence against women. The final section of the book expands the cultural perspective through chapters on domestic violence in Latin America, South Asia, Israel, and among ethnic enclaves within the United States. A report on female genital mutilation is included. The role of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations in preventing violence against women globally concludes the volume. NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas. ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member