The family is the arena in which the young child is inducted into social life and taught, intentionally or accidentally, a range of social influence strategies for controlling the family environment. Aggression may be one of these modes of social influence. In addition, the family also is an arena of conflict or competing needs and desires in a milieu of limited resources. Family members exist in a give-and-take economy where they must bargain with every other member. This bargaining process entails conflict and sometimes also aggression. Finally, the family is a system in which the aggregate must stay together and yet permit change in individual members and their interdependent relationships. Consequently, it is necessary to consider the family constellation in determining the meaning and function of childhood aggression. Because such aggression may be both a cause and a symptom of family dysfunction, treatment must be within the family. Interventions may include behaviorally based child management approaches, marital therapy, and family therapy. These interventions may focus on changing target symptom behaviors such as aggressiveness or effecting broader changes in the areas of communication, role clarification, and individuation. Approximately 140 references.