To date, there has been no research on family violence using nursing theory as a framework. Such research is badly needed to advance the knowledge base of nursing. Areas for such research include intrafamilial violence, threats to victim body image from violence, the relationship between violent family functioning and individual well-being, abuse and the grieving response, the relationship between substance abuse and family violence, and nursing interventions with individuals and violent families. The nurse in the hospital and in the community has contact with potential or actual family violence. Awareness of family violence and its forms will increase the number of clients identified as being at risk. Awareness of family violence also should make the nurse more sensitive to certain assessment findings. Routine nursing assessment of family functioning, stresses, and childrearing patterns can aid in case finding, lets the client know the nurse is interested in more than just physical health, and alerts the client that such topics are appropriate for discussion with the nurse. In addition to nursing practice in traditional settings, much opportunity exists for nurses to investigate and expand their practice in innovative areas such as women's shelters. Finally, in the area of nursing education, there is a great need to incorporate information on family violence as a health problem. One such course, taught to senior undergraduate nursing students, focused on the causes and extent of family violence and nursing interventions for the problem at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. Twenty-seven notes are given.