While 72 percent of the respondents reported mild violence in their homes, including slapping and pushing, another 8 percent reported severe violence, including kicking, hitting with a fist, and using weapons. Violence was usually committed by the parent before the child was 14 years old; 19 percent of the subjects reported incidents of mild violence in the preceding year, while 5 percent reported incidents of severe violence in the preceding year. Mild violence was perpetrated more often by mothers and experienced more often by girls, while severe violence was committed more often by fathers, but both sexes experienced it equally often. Children living with single mothers experienced mild violence less often than the average, but more frequent severe violence. Stepfathers initiated the most frequent occurrences of severe violence. Unemployment tended to increase the rates of both mild and severe violence. Children living in farming families or Swedish-speaking families reported the lowest rates of family violence. 3 tables and 20 references