THE AUTHOR'S APPROACH TO THE DEFINITION OF VIOLENCE IS CONCERNED PRIMARILY WITH HOW PEOPLE ARRIVE AT THE DECISION THAT A CERTAIN ACT IS VIOLENT AND THAT THE PERSON WHO DID IT IS VIOLENT. THE CONTEXT OF THE ACT IS IMPORTANT THE DEFINING, OR LABELING, PROCESS. THE OBSERVER OF AN ACT SEARCHES OUT BACKGROUND CONTEXTUAL DETAILS IN ORDER TO JUDGE THE SITUATION ACCURATELY. THE APPROACH STUDIES: (1) HOW PEOPLE DECIDE, WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR EXPERIENCE, INTERESTS, AND THEORIES OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR, THAT A CERTAIN LINE OF CONDUCT IS VIOLENT; (2) HOW THAT BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE IS USED TO MAKE INFERENCES ABOUT THE PERSON WHO COMMITTED THE ACT; (3) HOW THEY DECIDE WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THAT PERSON IN NEGOTIATION WITH OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES; AND (4) WHAT CONSEQUENCES FOLLOW FROM THE COURSE OF ACTION THEY TAKE. THE OBSERVER OF THE ACT IS IMPORTANT AS WELL AS THE ACTOR. THERE ARE CERTAIN GROUPS WHOSE DEFINITIONS OF ACT AND ACTOR ARE OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE IN DECIDING THE LATTER'S FATE. ANOTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE IS HOW THE ACTOR VIEWED HIS OWN ACTIONS -- WHETHER REASONABLE AND JUSTIFIABLE OR NOT. INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR DEFICIENCIES WITHIN ACTORS' PERSONALITIES, ONE SHOULD REGARD THEM AS BASICALLY NORMAL. THEY, LIKE EVERYONE, REALIZE THAT VIOLENCE HAS ITS VALUE IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, HOWEVER, THEY INTERPRET THE CIRCUMSTANCES, DIFFERENCES THAN MOST. THE MASS MEDIA PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN DEFINING SUSTAINING, AND REINFORCING MOST PEOPLE'S IMAGES OF 'THE VIOLENT CRIME' -- AND THESE IMAGES ARE GENERALLY DISTORTED. ANOTHER RELEVANT CONTEXT IN THIS APPROACH TO VIOLENCE IS THAT OF PRACTICAL POLICE WORK. EACH ACT OF VIOLENCE CARRIES A CERTAIN PROBABILITY THAT IT AND THE ACTOR WILL BE DETECTED. A CHANGE IN THE CONTINGENCIES THAT AFFECT THE CRIME'S DETECTION PROBABILITIES MEANS A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN THE RATE OF CRIME AND THE TOTALS OF PERSONS ARRESTED, EVEN IF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF VIOLENT OFFENDERS REMAINS THE SAME. THE CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH THE POLICE OPERATE IN DETECTING AND APPREHENDING OFFENDERS DEPENDS UPON THE COOPERATION OF THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL, AND OF THE VICTIM, AS WELL AS THE INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENTS OF THE OFFICERS AND THEIR EXPERIENCES, KNOWLEDGE, AND INTERESTS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (VDA)