Laws were passed by Puritan colonies in the 1600s against domestic violence. Family violence was typically associated with impoverished immigrant families, and this association fed into the hegemonic depiction of these families as pathological or out of step with mainstream white Protestant mores. The phenomenon of family violence is seen differently at historical points in time. At times, child abuse is a prominent part of the family violence discourse, while wife abuse is of paramount importance at other times. Some researchers focus on a constellation of abusive relationships within the family, including violence between siblings, parental violence toward young children and teenagers, physical abuse and neglect of the elderly, courtship violence, and violence between intimate partners. Feminist perspectives on family violence challenge the accuracy of the argument that husbands and wives engage in similar amounts of violence. Feminist researchers are more apt to use the term "woman battering" because it better conveys the gendered asymmetry of violence between adult partners in intimate relationships. The framing of woman battering within the context of patriarchal relations is also supported by research. The author focuses on intrafamilial male violence and emotional abuse directed at women and contends such abuse is the most significant form of adult interpersonal abuse in rural families. He highlights the need for more research on rural law enforcement and judicial responses to woman battering. 17 notes