THE RESEARCH FRAMEWORK INCORPORATES THE FOLLOWING ASSUMPTIONS: (1) A WIDE RANGE OF ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIORS MUST BE EXAMINED; (2) BOTH THE FACTORS WHICH PROVOKE ASSAULT AND FACTORS WHICH INHIBIT ASSAULT MUST BE CONSIDERED, ALONG WITH THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THESE TWO SETS OF FACTORS; (3) THE FAMILY MUST BE STUDIED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COMMUNITY WITHIN WHICH IT RESIDES; (4) THE FAMILY IS VIEWED AS A CONFLICT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH MEANS THAT THE FOCUS OF THE STUDY OF ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR MUST FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF SUCH BEHAVIOR IN RESPONSE TO VARIOUS FORMS OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CHANGE AND CONFLICT; (5) ANY RESEARCH DESIGN MUST ALLOW FOR MULTIPLE COMPARISONS TO BE MADE WITHIN AND BETWEEN RACIAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD STRESS GROUPS; AND (6) MULTIPLE HEALTH OUTCOMES SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THE RESEARCH. WITHIN THE CONTEXTS OF THESE GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS, SEVERAL SPECIFIC AREAS OF STUDY ARE REVIEWED. FAMILY STRUCTURE, INCLUDING FAMILY COMPOSITION, SEX-ROLE PERFORMANCE AND EXPECTATIONS, FAMILY RESOURCES, AND CHILD-REARING PRACTICES ARE DISCUSSED. VARIATIONS IN THESE DIMENSIONS OF FAMILY LIFE ARE HYPOTHESIZED TO BE RELATED TO THE ABSENCE OR PRESENCE OF ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR, AND COPING PROCESSES AND DEVICES ARE SUGGESTED AS POSSIBLE MEDIATORS OF THE EFFECT OF STRESSORS ON SUCH FAMILY BEHAVIORS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED AND A FIGURE ILLUSTRATES THE DESIGN FOR THE STUDY OF ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE FAMILY. (KBL)