GENERAL THEORIES CONCERNING VIOLENCE UNDERLIE THE VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES: THE LABELING THEORY, VIOLENCE AS BEHAVIOR LEARNED PRIMARILY AT HOME, VIOLENCE AS A SEX-ROLE STEREOTYPE, AND VIOLENCE AS A MANIFESTATION OF SUBCULTURAL BEHAVIOR. INDIVIDUAL ESSAYS DEAL WITH THE COMPLEX REASONS FOR WHY ABUSED WIVES STAY WITH THEIR HUSBANDS. A MODEL OF CHILD ABUSE IS PROPOSED THAT DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN VERBAL, EMOTIONAL, SEXUAL, AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL MODELS ARE EXPLORED. SUGGESTIONS ARE MADE FOR FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN THE STUDY OF CHILD ABUSE. THE LEGAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO RAPE VICTIM AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE VICTIM ON THE CANADIAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE EXAMINED IN TWO ESSAYS WHICH SHOW THAT LAWS MAY LAG BEHIND SOCIAL CHANGE, AND RAPE CRISIS CENTERS MAY BE THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE TO VICTIMS. ANOTHER ESSAY POINTS OUT THAT THE DEFINITION OF HOMICIDE MAY VARY ACCORDING TO THE SOURCE OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION; RESULTS OF THIS BIAS ARE EXPLORED. ESSAYS ON MEDIA LOOK AT THE MANY SITUATIONS AFFECTED BY MASS MEDIA, SUCH AS THE INVASION OF PRIVACY AND POTENTIAL DESTRUCTION OF INDIVIDUALITY. THE COMPLEXITY OF PROBLEMS SURROUNDING THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE MEDIA TO GENERAL POLITICAL BEHAVIOR IS EXPLORED; IT IS SUGGESTED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO DIRECT CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIOLENCE AND MEDIA, THERE IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN. VIOLENCE IN SPORTS, AND THE EFFECT OF THE MEDIA ON POLICE-PRESS RELATIONS ARE SUBJECTS OF OTHER INVESTIGATIONS. ALL OF THE ESSAYS INCLUDE SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND MANY INCLUDE CHARTS AND TABLES. (RFC)