IN 1970 DR. DAVID G. GIL ARGUED THAT VIOLENT BEHAVIOR TOWARDS CHILDREN DOES NOT RESULT MERELY FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTURBANCE OF PERPETRATORS AS IS OFTEN ASSUMED, BUT IS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL PHENOMENON ROOTED IN THE COMPLEX FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY AND CULTURE. FROM HIS SUBSEQUENT WORK WHICH WAS A SYSTEMATIC EXPLORATION OF LINKAGES AMONG SOCIAL VALUES, SOCIAL POLICIES, SOCIETAL INSTITUTIONS, AND VIOLENCE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO VIEW VIOLENCE AS ACTS AND CONDITIONS WHICH OBSTRUCT THE SPONTANEOUS UNFOLDING OF INNATE HUMAN POTENTIAL, AND THE INHERENT HUMAN DRIVE TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-ACTUALIZATION. SUCH ACTS AND CONDITIONS OCCUR ON INTERPERSONAL, INSTITUTIONAL, AND SOCIETAL LEVELS. ON THE INTERPERSONAL LEVEL, INDIVIDUALS MAY ACT VIOLENTLY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER USING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEANS. FAMILIES CAN SERVE AS THE AGENTS AND ARENAS FOR SUCH VIOLENCE. HOWEVER, MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT HOW SOCIETY STRUCTURES ITS WORK, EDUCATION, AND WEALTH INSTITUTIONS CAN CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE AND ITS MULTIFACETED CONSEQUENCES BECOME INEVITABLE. VIOLENCE CAN ONLY BE ADDRESSED BY MOVING TOWARD A HUMANISTIC, EGALITARIAN, AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES ON RESEARCH INTO VIOLENCE SHOULD ALLOW FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES INTO THE INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN STRUCTURAL AND PERSONAL VIOLENCE IN AMERICA SOCIETY. RESEARCHERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO STUDY HOW TO CORRECT SOCIETAL INSTITUTIONS IN SUCH WAYS AS TO REDUCE SOCIETAL VIOLENCE. (KCP)