Two psychologists review the extensive but often seriously inadequate work on violence by parents against their children and offer guidance for the development of parenting skills. One author discusses violence between couples, noting that men are the usual assailants and women are often unfairly blamed for becoming victims. Another author deals with sexual violence against women. She debunks many myths about rape and suggests that too often women are blamed for precipitating rape. In reviewing recent vandalism studies, the authors find that individual acts of vandalism are usually trivial, but the total effects are very costly and undermine the quality of life. Another paper deals with violence in psychiatric hospitals and suggests that better ward-management policies and practices could help prevent ward violence. Prison violence is also addressed, with attention to hostagetaking, riots, and institutional violence. Suggestions for preventing these types of prison violence are outlined. Several authors address aspects of the mentally abnormal violent offender. One considers the evidence for a special link between violence and mental disorder, and another reviews assumptions concerning 'dangerousness' that underlie public policy as represented by current and proposed legislation. The text ends with an overview of the material presented, with implications for both accurate explanations of violence and effective social action. Papers include references, and some provide tables. For individual articles, see NCJ 94875-82.