Despite the vast literature that reflects on the concept of psychological violence, few studies have sought to understand the widespread problem of psychological violence toward children. The current study is part of a larger research project designed to understand the nature of psychological violence and to establish its ecological validity. A qualitative theorizing analysis was performed on the content of interviews with 16 parents (8 parents with difficulties with their children and 8 parents without acknowledged difficulties) and 10 psychosocial practitioners. The interview schedule was developed based on the Critical Incident Technique. Results revealed four types of families in which psychological violence is likely to occur, characterized by a scapegoat child, a domineering and intolerant father, a rigid and manipulative mother, and a chaotic and incompetent parent. Participants’ explanations for the occurrence of psychological violence support the proposed typology; a different explanation is associated with each type of violent family. Moreover, 3 practitioners applied the typology to approximately 30 real life cases to assess the usefulness of the typology in a clinical setting. Results support the clinical relevance of the typology. Figures, tables, references, appendix