The importance of the family extends beyond the etiology of criminal behavior to concern for the effectiveness of crime control policies and correctional interventions. The earliest forms of family therapy were conducted from a psychoanalytical perspective. The most important focus in psychoanalytical family therapy is on object relations, the influence of early interactions with parents on current relationships. Communication therapy is typically based on a systems perspective; that is, family interactions cannot be understood unless attention is paid to family role patterns, stability, communication levels, and governing processes. The goal of communication therapy is to modify poor patterns of communication and interaction. Borrowing heavily from systems theory, the goal of structural family therapy is to alter patterns of family subsystems and their boundaries. The use of behavioral and social learning models in family therapy and criminal justice applications of family therapy are discussed. A historical perspective on family therapy is included. 1 note