FOUR TYPES OF VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY ARE NOTED: (1) FATAL VIOLENCE BY HUSBANDS TO THEIR WIVES; (2) FATAL VIOLENCE BY FATHERS TO THEIR CHILDREN, WITH OR WITHOUT WIVES BEING INCLUDED IN THE VIOLENCE; (3) VIOLENCE BY WIVES TO THEIR CHILDREN AND OCCASIONALLY VIOLENCE TO THEIR HUSBANDS; AND (4) VIOLENCE BETWEEN SIBLINGS IN A FAMILY AND SOMETIMES VIOLENCE BY CHILDREN TO THEIR PARENTS. A MAJOR PROBLEM IN EVALUATING THESE TYPES OF VIOLENCE IS WHETHER THERE IS A CONTINUOUS GRADATION BETWEEN MINOR AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE AND MAJOR CASES THAT REACH THE COURTS. ORIGINS OF AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE ARE COMPLEX. AGGRESSION HAS BEEN CONSIDERED PRIMARILY AS THE OUTCOME OF FRUSTRATION, AND MANY KINDS OF FRUSTRATION EXIST. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS THEORIZED THAT AGGRESSION CAN BE LEARNED BEHAVIOR. AFTER ABOUT 3 YEARS OF AGE, THE INCIDENCE OF CHILD BATTERING BY MOTHERS APPEARS TO BECOME LESS, AND ABUSE IS MUCH LESS COMMON IN LARGE FAMILIES WITH OLDER MOTHERS. HUSBANDS AND WIVES CONTRIBUTE ALTERNATELY TO THE INSTABILITY OF ONE ANOTHER. THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS IN FAMILY VIOLENCE IS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS. ALCOHOL PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN WIFE BATTERING BUT A MINIMAL ROLE IN CHILD ABUSE. CHANGES IN LIFE CONDITIONS ARE SIGNIFICANT IN RELATION TO STRESSES ENCOUNTERED BY ALREADY UNSTABLE INDIVIDUALS. FAMILY VIOLENCE SEEMS TO BE PREVALENT ACROSS ALL SOCIAL CLASSES, ALTHOUGH THE MIDDLE CLASS HAS A GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO CONCEAL VIOLENCE. THE LAW DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE MUCH TO RESOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY. NUMEROUS STUDIES INVOLVING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FAMILY VIOLENCE ARE CITED. A DISCUSSION OF POINTS MADE IN THE ARTICLE IS INCLUDED. (DEP)