The father-child relationship has received little attention in the research on domestically violent families. Father’s behaviors, violent or otherwise, are increasingly seen as relevant areas of major inquiry regarding child development. This review informs the literature in several relevant areas: the nature and extent of paternal involvement, the characteristics of father-child interactions, and the impact of fathers on child development. This review also integrates three areas of literature that have so far remained divided: the literature on fathering, men who batter, and the effect of witnessing violence on children. It underscores the importance of men who batter as an important point of investigation and intervention in an effort to stop the intergenerational transmission of domestic violence. More research is needed to clarify how men who batter view their roles as fathers and how they specifically affect their children who witness their violence. However, as fathers are becoming increasingly involved with their children, the father-child relationship has gained recognition as an important area of inquiry. The literature reveals that fathers often differ from mothers in the terms and type of involvement with their children. The term paternal identities reflects a growing interest in men’s own understanding of their roles as fathers as a crucial factor in determining the nature of the father-child relationship. The meaning that a man ascribes to fatherhood will impact his motivation and level of investment in parenting. This integrated review is intended to inform the child development and fathering literature and open possibilities for new areas of study in domestic violence research. Despite methodological and theoretical difficulties it is vital that the father-child relationship in domestically violent families receive continued attention within the context of the complex individual, familial, social, and cultural factors that may mediate paternal impact on child development. Tables, references