Family violence, especially adult intimate partner violence, is a complex issue eluding any scientific definition. A consensus about what family violence actually entails is unusual in professional circles or among the lay public. Violence in the family is a topic that rarely leaves a person emotionally indifferent or impartial. There is a whole range of myths accompanying family violence. These myths include the scope and extent of the violence, the psychological nature of the perpetrators, the personality traits of the victims, the role of alcohol, and the incompatibility of love and violence. These images have a soothing effect on public opinion because they reinforce the conviction that family violence only affects problematic families that have other social and individual problems and pathological individuals. Statistically, normal family units escape this critical and detailed assessment. 44 footnotes, 29 references