The study used data from the 1975 National Family Violence Survey, which used a national probability sample of 2,143 families in which one adult family member was interviewed (960 men; 1,183 women). The dependent variable, spousal violence, was measured with the Conflict Tactics Scales; "nearby relatives" was a variable measured as the number of family members of the respondent and his/her spouse who lived within an hour of the respondent; "interpersonal resources" was measured by whether or not respondents had friends or relatives to turn to in a crisis. Other variables measured were commitment to institutions, belief in spousal violence, gender, family-of-origin authority structure, education, husband/wife's age, household race, and household income. Findings show that a person's participation in spousal violence is partly based on one's bond to society. In particular, those persons who have interpersonal resources and beliefs that spousal violence is not a normal response to marital conflict are least likely to engage in such behavior. These findings provide qualified and limited support for Hirschi's (1969) social bond theory. What the researchers found surprising was the lack of support for Hagan et al's (1979, 1985, 1987, 1990) power-control theory. Future research should involve additional tests of social control theory's and power-control theory's ability to explain participation in spousal violence. 3 tables, 7 notes, and 41 references