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Journal of Family Violence (the journal people usually mean by “family violence journal”) is a peer-reviewed Springer journal on preventing, ending and ameliorating all forms of family violence. This page is for researchers deciding whether to submit and what the submission asks of them. Details are from the journal’s own Springer Nature Link pages, read on 8 November 2026; metrics change every year.
What the Journal of Family Violence is
Its aims page describes it as “a peer-reviewed publication committed to the dissemination of rigorous research on preventing, ending, and ameliorating all forms of family violence.” It is published by Springer (Springer Science+Business Media, part of Springer Nature) under a hybrid publishing model. Print ISSN is 0885-7482 and electronic ISSN is 1573-2851. The Editor-in-Chief listed on the journal home page is Lynette M. Renner, PhD. The latest issue shown on 8 November 2026 was October 2026, Volume 41, Issue 7.
Journal of Family Violence vs “family violence journals”
“Journal of Family Violence” is one specific title. “Family violence journals” is a topic label covering any journal publishing on the subject. This page profiles the specific title only.
Who it is for and what it covers
The aims and scope page lists child abuse and maltreatment, dating violence, domestic and partner violence, and elder abuse, with emphasis on physical, psychological and sexual violence and homicides in families. The submission guidelines add child-to-parent abuse and sibling abuse. Accepted approaches include quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods studies with primary data. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and theoretical analyses are also welcome, as are transdisciplinary perspectives and innovative methods. The journal invites submissions from around the world.
Key facts at a glance (checked 8 November 2026)
| Item | What the journal’s pages state |
|---|---|
| Journal Impact Factor | 2.3 (2025); 5-year JIF 3.2 (2025) |
| Submission to first decision | 23 days (median) |
| Peer review | Double-blind |
| Access model | Hybrid (Open Choice) |
| Article processing charge (APC) | GBP 2,790 / USD 4,290 / EUR 3,190, subject to VAT or local taxes; price set from the date of acceptance |
| Language | American English |
| Submission system | Editorial Manager (editorialmanager.com/jofv) |
Indexing
The journal’s own abstracting and indexing list names: BFI List, Baidu, CLOCKSS, CNKI, CNPIEC, CAMS, Current Contents/Social & Behavioral Sciences, Dimensions, EBSCO, EMCare, ERIH PLUS, Gale, Google Scholar, Naver, Norwegian Register, OCLC WorldCat Discovery, Ovid, Portico, ProQuest, PsycINFO, SCImago, Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Social Science Citation Index, TD Net, Wanfang and eLibrary.ru. If a funder or promotion committee asks where a journal is indexed, check the index’s own title list as well; see Scopus vs Web of Science vs OpenAlex and Google Scholar vs Scopus for how those sources differ.
How to submit
The submission guidelines point authors to the journal’s Editorial Manager site (the sign-in is reached from that link). In order:
- Choose the article type. The guidelines list Full-length Article, Brief Report, Systematic Review and/or Meta-Analysis, Letter to the Editor and Special Article.
- Check the length limit. A full-length article is limited to 35 double-spaced pages and a Brief Report to 20, both counting the title page, abstract, text, references, tables, figures and footnotes.
- Write in American English.
- Anonymise the manuscript for double-blind review. Put names, affiliations, acknowledgements and funding on a separate title page, and avoid self-citation that reveals your identity.
- Write a cover letter. The journal encourages stating the manuscript type (flag a Brief Report as such) and whether the findings were presented elsewhere.
- Upload through Editorial Manager.
Special or guest-edited issues follow the same review, and a guest editor who authors a paper in their own issue does not handle its review. For how double-blind compares with other models, see single-blind vs double-blind vs open peer review, and for cover letter conventions at Springer see the cover letter comparison.
Open access or subscription route
| Open Choice (APC paid) | Subscription route (no APC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to author | The APC stated above | No APC stated |
| Rights | Author keeps copyright under a Creative Commons licence | Copyright transfer applies |
The journal states that authors who do not pay the APC publish via the subscription route. For the wider vocabulary, see gold vs green vs diamond vs hybrid open access.
Strengths and limits
- Scope is focused. Every listed topic concerns violence within families or intimate relationships, and the journal welcomes systematic reviews and meta-analyses as well as empirical work.
- Primary data is emphasised. The scope statement describes empirical studies using primary data, with theoretical analyses also welcome.
- Length limits are fixed. 35 pages for full articles and 20 for Brief Reports, references and tables included.
- Open access costs money. The Open Choice APC is GBP 2,790 / USD 4,290 / EUR 3,190 plus applicable taxes.
- Review is double-blind, so anonymisation errors are the author’s responsibility.
Comparing it with other venues
Journals differ on impact metrics, indexing, review model and fees, so compare them on the same fields rather than on reputation alone: scope statement, indexing list, review model, median time to first decision, APC and article-type limits, all of which each journal publishes. For metric definitions, see CiteScore vs Impact Factor.
Alternatives
If this journal’s scope, fees or review model do not fit, other journals publish in adjacent areas of violence and abuse research, for example Child Abuse & Neglect, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Violence Against Women and Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. Check each one’s own aims page before relying on that overlap. Compare candidates on the same fields, using each journal’s own pages:
| Comparison field | Journal of Family Violence (as stated 8 November 2026) | Where to check for an alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | All forms of family violence, including child abuse, dating, domestic and partner violence, and elder abuse | The journal’s aims and scope page |
| Review model | Double-blind | The journal’s submission guidelines |
| Median time to first decision | 23 days | The journal home page, if stated |
| Journal Impact Factor | 2.3 (2025); 5-year 3.2 | The journal home page or Journal Citation Reports |
| Access and APC | Hybrid; Open Choice APC GBP 2,790 / USD 4,290 / EUR 3,190 | The publisher’s fees and funding page |
| Indexing | Includes Scopus, Social Science Citation Index, PsycINFO | The journal’s indexing list and the index’s own title list |
For how the two main metrics differ, see CiteScore vs Impact Factor.
FAQ
Is the Journal of Family Violence peer reviewed?
Yes. The journal describes itself as peer-reviewed and uses double-blind review (journal pages, 8 November 2026).
What is the Journal of Family Violence impact factor?
The journal home page showed a Journal Impact Factor of 2.3 (2025) and a 5-year JIF of 3.2 (2025) on 8 November 2026.
Is the Journal of Family Violence indexed in Scopus?
Scopus is on the journal’s own indexing list, alongside the Social Science Citation Index, PsycINFO and Google Scholar.
How long does the first decision take?
The home page states a median of 23 days from submission to first decision. This is a median, not a guarantee.
How much does it cost to publish open access?
The Open Choice APC is GBP 2,790, USD 4,290 or EUR 3,190, subject to VAT or local taxes. Publishing via the subscription route does not require the APC.
Is it a hybrid journal?
Yes. Springer lists its publishing model as hybrid.
Sources
- Journal of Family Violence, home page (Springer Nature Link), read 8 November 2026
- Aims and scope, read 8 November 2026
- Submission guidelines, read 8 November 2026
- How to publish with us (fees and funding), read 8 November 2026
- Editorial Manager, Journal of Family Violence
