DATA WERE OBTAINED ON ASSAULTS AGAINST MUNICIPAL POLICE OFFICERS IN OKLAHOMA, NEW MEXICO, LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, AND TEXAS DURING THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1973 TO DECEMBER 1973. A TOTAL OF 1,143 ASSAULT INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED BY 37 MUNICIPAL AGENCIES. POLICE AGENCIES REPORTING ASSAULT INFORMATION SERVED POPULATIONS RANGING IN SIZE FROM 344 PERSONS TO 360,000 PERSONS. EACH REPORTING AGENCY COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONNAIRE (PHYSICAL CONTACT SUMMARY), DESCRIBING IN DETAIL CERTAIN DIMENSIONS OF EACH ASSAULT: POLICE OFFICER CHARACTERISTICS, ASSAILANT CHARACTERISTICS, THE ASSAULT ENVIRONMENT, AND DYNAMICS OF THE ASSAULT EVENT. THE ROLE OF ALCOHOL IN ASSAULTS WAS ALSO CONSIDERED. INFORMATION ON ASSAILANTS REVEALED THAT ASSAULTS ON POLICE WERE OVERWHELMINGLY COMMITTED BY YOUNG ADULT MALES FROM LOWER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CLASSES. THESE PEOPLE TENDED TO BE EITHER UNEMPLOYED OR BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS WHO HAVE A TENDENCY TO BE BELLIGERENT, VIOLENT, AND ANGRY AFTER THEY HAVE HAD SOME LIQUOR. THE DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE NUMBER OF ASSAULTS OCCURRING AMONG DISADVANTAGED RANKS OF SOCIETY INDICATED THAT SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FORCES ARE AT WORK THAT NEED TO BE EXAMINED AND BETTER UNDERSTOOD. SEVERAL SOCIAL SCIENTISTS SUGGEST THAT ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR RESULTS FROM VIOLENT ATTITUDES RELATED TO ONE'S PERCEPTION OF MASCULINITY AND ONE'S EGO IDENTITY. ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER MAY BE MOTIVATED, CONSCIOUSLY OR SUBCONSCIOUSLY, BY A DESIRE TO ACHIEVE PRESTIGE AND TO MAKE A MARK WITHIN THE LOW-CLASS PEER GROUP. IN ADDITION TO UNDERSTANDING THE FACTOR OF SOCIAL HEREDITY, IT IS NECESSARY TO EVALUATE THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL AND POLITICAL REALMS WITHIN WHICH ASSAILANTS OPERATE. THE POLICE ASSAULTS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO A SOCIETY STRUCTURE WHICH IMPOSES DEPRIVATIONS, HARDSHIPS, ANXIETIES, AND RESENTMENTS ON THE LOWER CLASS. SUPPORTING DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. AN APPENDIX PRESENTS DATA ON OCCUPATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MALE MUNICIPAL POLICE OFFICERS BY HEIGHT AND RACE. (DEP)