Types of violence in families differ among countries reporting spouse abuse. However, serious injury often results from family violence. There is wide variation in the frequency of assaults. Alcohol may help precipitate assaults, which occur more often on nights and weekends. Possessiveness and sexual jealously are also blamed for the assaults. Much of the literature on spouse abuse assumes it is caused by some mental disorder in the batterer or in the victim. More research is needed to determine whether poor temper control and violent outbursts may be attributed to the effects of organic conditions or metabolic disorders or whether premenstrual tension causes violence in women. Many psychoanalytical explanations of spouse abuse tend to focus on the victim rather than the batterer. Some see women as masochistic for remaining with abusive husbands, and others suggest that such women become helpless and depressed, rendering them incapable of marshalling the self-esteem necessary to escape. Other approaches to explaining spouse abuse have focused on interpersonal or interactional processes as the source of violence. Possible intervention strategies emphasize treating the victims' needs, particularly for medical treatment, protection, support, and advice. Victims may leave home temporarily or permanently, seek outside help to restrain the batterer, or remain in the situation and try to change it. The demand for refuge places and the use made of women's aid centers suggest that present resources for helping victims are inadequate. Ways need to be found to help more victims. The aim should be to change the abuser's behavior and stop him from teaching such behavior to his children. Future research should examine what factors cause and maintain violence and batterers' experience of violence. About 60 references are supplied.