THE MATERIAL CITED HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY SOCIOLOGISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, FEMINISTS, POLICE, LAWYERS, AND CRISIS INTERVENTION PERSONNEL. FOLLOWING THE ANNOTATED SECTION IS A BIBLIOGRAPHIC LIST OF ADDITIONAL CITATIONS WHICH FURTHER SUPPORT OR RESTATE THE FINDINGS IN THE ANNOTATED CITATIONS. THE SOURCES FROM WHICH THE BIBLIOGRAPHY HAS BEEN DERIVED ARE LISTED. THE FOLLOWING THEMES IN THE LITERATURE ARE NOTED: ABUSE IS WIDESPREAD IN AMERICA; ABUSE CROSSES CLASS BOUNDARIES; STATISTICS DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE IS NO 'TYPICAL' VICTIM OR ABUSER; ABUSE TENDS TO MOVE FROM THE ABUSED OR WITNESSING CHILD TO THE ADULT VICTIM OR ABUSER OF THE NEXT GENERATION; PRESENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCEDURES ARE INADEQUATE; MORE CRISIS INTERVENTION SYSTEMS ARE NEEDED; WOMEN'S LIBERATION THREATENS THE TRADITIONAL MALE/FEMALE ROLES, THEREBY PRECIPITATING THREAT AND VIOLENT RESPONSE; POLICE OFFICERS WHO INTERVENE IN DOMESTIC CONFLICTS ARE SUBJECTED TO A HIGH RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY; VIOLENCE TENDS TO INTENSIFY, NOT DIMINISH, WITH FREQUENCY, AND INCREASES THE PROBABILITY OF HOMICIDE; ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE POSITIVELY CORRELATE WITH HOUSEHOLD VIOLENCE OF ALL TYPES; PRESENT SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND FAMILY CONSTRAINTS INHIBIT ATTEMPTS TOWARD THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF VIOLENT FAMILIES; AND THERE IS A PRESSING NEED FOR INTENSIVE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND VALID STATISTICS FROM WHICH HYPOTHESES CAN BE FORMULATED AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS SUGGESTED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- RCB)