THE TERM 'BATTERED' REFERS BOTH TO ACTUAL PHYSCIAL ASSAULT AND TO VERBAL AND NONVERBAL THREATS OF PHYSICAL HARM. IN PARENT BATTERING, PERPETRATORS ARE ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS AND VICTIMS ARE THEIR PARENTS. EXAMINATION OF THE 43 CASE STUDIES INDICATED THAT PARENT BATTERING HAS SYMPTOMOLOGY AND DYNAMICS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF CHILD ABUSE OR SPOUSE ABUSE AND IS THEREFORE A DISTINCT SYNDROME. MOST, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE CASES STUDIED HAVE INVOLVED MALES. FIRST AMONG THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF AFFECTED FAMILIES IS SOME DISTURBANCE IN THE AUTHORITY HIERARCHY. ONE OR BOTH PARENTS HAVE ABDICATED THE EXECUTIVE POSITION, OR COVERT COMPETITION BETWEEN THE PARENTS PREVENTS EITHER FROM RULING EFFECTIVELY. AS A RESULT, THE ADOLESCENT HAS AN EXAGGERATED SENSE OF POWER. SECOND, BATTERED PARENTS FREQUENTLY DENY THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE MAINTAIN SECRECY ABOUT IT. AS A RESULT, THE CHILD'S VIOLENT BEHAVIOR IS SANCTIONED, BOTH PARENTS' AND CHILDREN'S FEELINGS OF HELPLESSNESS BECOME ENTRENCHED, AND THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IS SABOTAGED. THIRD, THE NORMAL ADOLESCENT NEED TO ESTABLISH INDEPENDENCE HAS BEEN DISTURBED. THE ADOLESCENT FORCED TO BECOME INDEPENDENT BEFORE EMOTIONALLY READY TO DO SO BECOMES OVERLY ENMESHED IN FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. VIOLENCE MAY BE THE LATER EFFORT AT ESTABLISHING INDEPENDENCE. FINALLY, SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS SUCH AS INCONSISTENT ATTITUDES ABOUT VIOLENCE AND CHANGING ROLES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN HAVE CREATED AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE POTENTIALLY CONDUCIVE TO FAMILY VIOLENCE. IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF PROBLEM FAMILIES IS NECESSARY TO CONTROL THIS AND OTHER EVER INCREASING PROBLEMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (CFW)