Opioid overdoses have killed tens of thousands of Americans last year alone. But could it be that patient expectations and even demands are driving the epidemic? Are opioids always necessary? Recently, an American woman recounted her experience in Germany and how she recovered after a hysterectomy with only the help of a nonprescription painkiller and rest. Bioethicist Travis N. Rieder cautions about taking so simple an approach. While it is true, he argues, that America needs a culture change, some pain is too devastating.

Before becoming a professor of law at the University of Montana, Andrew King-Ries prosecuted domestic violence perpetrators for nearly a decade. He decided to reach out to several victims he had met and thought he had helped. As it turns out, many of them told him they were still dealing with the trauma of their abuse and felt “dumped” by the criminal justice system, prompting him to reimagine how the system could better support victims.

Organizations fighting domestic violence have traditionally focused their work on victims. But there is a growing field of anti-violence work that attempts to stop abuse from ever happening. University of Michigan scholar Richard Tolman and his research team have studied the effectiveness of these types of initiatives, from programs for boys on sports teams to efforts that involve men in violence prevention as they move into fatherhood.