IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1975, 25 PERCENT OF ALL REPORTED MURDERS WERE PERPETRATED WITHIN FAMILIES. EXCEPT IN INFANTICIDE, MURDER WITHIN THE FAMILY DEPENDS AS MUCH ON THE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERPETRATOR AND VICTIM AS ON THE PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF THE MURDERER. HOMICIDE WITHIN THE FAMILY MAY OCCUR WHEN A RELATIONSHIP CAN BE NEITHER SUSTAINED NOR LET GO. THE KILLING OF A FAMILY MEMBER IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KILLER'S INABILITY TO ESCAPE FROM AN UNBEARABLE RELATIONSHIP EXCEPT THROUGH VIOLENCE. A REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON THE PSYCHODYNAMICS OF SPECIFIC FORMS OF INTRAFAMILY HOMICIDE POINTS TO THE TENDENCY OF RESEARCHERS TO SUBSTITUTE DESCRIPTION FOR EXPLANATION. THERE IS A NEED TO STUDY HOW THE SOCIODYNAMICS OF FAMILY LIFE PROMOTE OR IMPAIR THE INDIVIDUAL FAMILY MEMBER'S ACQUISITION OF INTERNALIZED MECHANISMS FOR CONTROLLING AGGRESSION. MURDER WITHIN THE FAMILY MAY BE VIEWED AS A STAGED SEQUENCE: A BACKGROUND OF PERPETRATOR AND VICTIM BOUND TO EACH OTHER; A MIDDLE PHASE OF MOUNTING TENSION IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP; A HOMICIDAL PHASE CULMINATING IN A DEATH; AND A RESTORATION PHASE, IN WHICH THE PERPETRATOR'S PERSONALITY IS REINTEGRATED. INTRAFAMILY OFFENDERS NEED TO BE INSTITUTIONALIZED UNTIL THEY CAN ESTABLISH SELF-CONTROL. THEIR BEHAVIOR MUST BE CONTROLLED EXTERNALLY THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH NONPUNITIVE PERSONS, WHO MUST NOT PERMIT THEM TO SUBSTITUTE ACTION FOR THOUGHT OR TO MANIPULATE OTHERS INTO REACTIVE POSITIONS. THE INTRAFAMILY OFFENDER MUST LEARN TO THINK, TO REASON, AND TO CONTROL IMPULSES. IF THIS IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED, IT IS POSSIBLE, ALTHOUGH NOT LIKELY, THAT THE OFFENDER WILL KILL AGAIN. (LKM)