WIVES OF PATIENTS AT THE ALCOHOL AND VIOLENCE CLINIC AT THE STANFORD (CALIF.) MEDICAL CENTER, WERE ADMINISTERED SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS RELATING TO ALCOHOL ABUSE AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA WERE ALSO OBTAINED, AND WHEN THE DATA ON THE WOMEN'S CHILDHOODS AND FAMILIES OF ORIGIN WERE EXAMINED, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE BATTERED WIVES HAD COME FROM THREE DIFFERENT, BUT DESCRIBABLE KINDS OF FAMILIES. A TYPOLOGY WAS DEVELOPED OF THE THREE TYPES OF FAMILIES OF ORIGIN: (1) THE SUBTLY CONTROLLING MOTHER/FIGUREHEAD FATHER FAMILY; (2) THE SUBMISSIVE MOTHER/DICTATORIAL FATHER FAMILY; AND (3) THE DISTURBED MOTHER/MULTIPLE FATHERS FAMILY. THE FOLLOWING WERE CONSIDERED FOR WOMEN OF EACH BACKGROUND FAMILY TYPE: CONTINUITY OF THE PARENTS' RELATIONSHIP, THE WOMAN'S REASON FOR SELECTING HER MATE, HER ADJUSTMENT TO HER OWN MARRIAGE, ATTITUDES TOWARD HER HUSBAND, TYPES OF VIOLENCE SUFFERED, HER RESPONSE TO THE VIOLENCE, MEANING OF VIOLENCE TO HER MARITAL RELATIONSHIP, STABILITY OF THE RELATIONSHIP, AND PARALLELS TO HER CHILDHOOD. THE NATURE OF THE WOMAN'S CHILDHOOD FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, PARTICULARLY WITH HER MOTHER, ALSO PREDICTED WHETHER SHE WOULD ENTER INTO THERAPY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE VIOLENCE OCCURRING IN THE CLIENTS' LIVES CANNOT BE EXPLAINED AWAY BY EITHER PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF SADOMASOCHISTIC BEHAVIOR OR SOCIAL THEORIES OF MALE DOMINANCE AND FEMALE SUBMISSION. IT IS ARGUED THAT THE EARLY FAMILY HISTORIES OF BOTH HUSBANDS AND WIVES INFLUENCE THEIR SUBSEQUENT MARITAL BEHAVIOR. THE BATTERED WIFE, ESPECIALLY, MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE EFFECTS OF HER EARLY LIFE ON HER CURRENT BEHAVIOR, EITHER TO RESTRUCTURE HER MARITAL RELATIONSHIP, OR TO TERMINATE IT AND AVOID REPEATING IT WITH ANOTHER ABUSIVE MATE. ONE TYPOLOGICAL CHART IS PROVIDED. NO REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MLC)