The reasons for this include public awareness of violence due to the recent increase in violent behavior and the focus on the problems of battered wives. Although the extent of the family violence problem is not known, it can be assumed that violence in the family is probably more common than violence in any other social setting. One of the consistent conclusions of family violence studies is that individuals who have experienced violent childhoods are more likely to grow up to become child and spouse batterers than individuals who experienced little or no violence as children. A recently developed theoretical model for the analysis of violence in society assumes that the probability of violence and aggression as a reaction to stress will increase when social support systems fail or malfunction. This model provides conceptual tools for the prediction and identification of factors that might enhance or reduce the probability of family violence. Bibliography