WHILE YOUNG ANIMALS, AND BY EXTENSION, YOUNG HUMANS, ENGAGE IN ROUGH PLAY, AND ALTHOUGH VIOLENCE IS CULTURALLY SANCTIONED IN ACTIVITIES LIKE SPORTS, AT SOME POINT VIOLENCE BECOMES PATHOLOGICAL. A PHYSIOLOGICAL OR BIOCHEMICAL MECHANISM MAY BE AT FAULT, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL AND PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PERSON FROM INFANCY IS TRACED TO IDENTIFY THE POINTS AT WHICH VIOLENCE IS MANIFESTED AND TO DETERMINE HOW HARMLESS VIOLENCE BECOMES DANGEROUS. AN INFANT'S EARLY ATTEMPTS AT COMMUNICATION CAN INCLUDE EXTREME BODY MOVEMENT IN TANTRUMS, EXPRESSING FRUSTRATION AND RAGE. LATER, DESTRUCTIVE VIOLENCE CAN BE A FORM OF COMMUNICATION. IT IS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE CHILD'S ENVIRONMENT TO UNDERSTAND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR (ALTHOUGH ALL CHILDREN FROM BAD SITUATIONS DO NOT TURN TO DESTRUCTIVE ACTS). SOME CULTURES REWARD VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, E.G., IN ADOLESCENT GANGS AND THE NAZI YOUTH MOVEMENT. SITUATIONS SUCH AS A COUNTRY'S TRANSITION FROM A COLONIAL GOVERNMENT TO INDEPENDENCE ALSO MAY BREED VIOLENCE. CLASSIC WARNING SIGNS INCLUDE ABUSIVE PARENTS AND EARLY ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AND SETTING FIRES. PARAMETERS FOR DESCRIBING A VIOLENT INDIVIDUAL ARE LISTED: PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS (VALUES, PERSONALITY, RELATIONS TO ENVIRONMENT); EXTERNAL (CULTURAL VALUES, STRESSFUL SITUATIONS); PATHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR; AND THE NATURE OF THE ACT ITSELF. THE EMOTIONAL BASIS FOR THE VIOLENT ACT IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE TRANSITION FROM ANGER TO A DESTRUCTIVE RAGE WHICH ALLEVIATES PRECEDING ANGER OR ANXIETY AND GIVES A FEELING OF POWER OR EVEN EUPHORIA. HOWEVER, VIOLENCE OR RAGE CAN ALSO CAUSE GUILT FEELINGS. AN OUTLINE CATALOGUES FORMS OF VIOLENCE, DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN CULTURALLY SANCTIONED VIOLENCE SUCH AS SELF-DEFENSE AND CRIMES OF PASSION; VIOLENCE BETWEEN THE INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY SUCH AS TERRORISM OR VIGILANTISM, JUVENILE GANGS, OR PARANOIA; AND VIOLENCE AS AN INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION, WITH MANY VARIATIONS INCLUDING SUICIDE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. --IN SPANISH. (MPL)