Research indicated that the same types of sociological and psychological variables that relate to family violence are also relevant to courtship violence. An appropriate definition would consider courtship to be any social interaction related to the dating or mate-selection processes and violence to be any acts or threats of acts that physically or verbally abuse another person. Courtship violence includes cultural, social and personal dimensions. The cultural dimension consists of the attitudes, values, and beliefs about violence that have developed historically and have perpetuated in American society. Widespread cultural support exists for violence in the United States. The social dimension of courtship violence includes social and legal expectations, the socialization process, sex roles, stereotypes, and social understandings that surround the courtship process. The personal dimension of courtship violence consists of each individual's attitudes and values and reflects the cultural and social dimensions. The personal dimension includes emotional, psychological, and physical aspects. 17 references.