The analysis summarizes research findings about the relationships between neighborhood and family characteristics and violence. It integrates these findings with the literature on the study of school violence. The discussion notes that the conventional wisdom holds that school violence reflects violence in the broader social context and thus that it occurs when students and intruders import violence. Although the research reveals this conclusion to be generally true, the relationship between neighborhood crime and school violence is complex. Other factors such as school context are also important. Thus, the manner in which schools are organized and managed does have an effect on school violence. Findings indicate that a multipronged approach that includes the community, the family, and the school itself is the most promising strategy for both understanding and controlling school violence. Notes and 85 references