THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF VIOLENCE--THE LABELING AND INTERPRETATION OF PARTICULAR ACTS AS VIOLENT OR NONVIOLENT, TOLERABLE OR INTOLERABLE--DEPENDS ON FOUR FACTORS: THE AGENT OF THE ACT, THE VICTIM, THE SITUATION, AND THE DEGREE OF HARM. AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF DEFINING VIOLENCE IS SOME JUDGMENT OF INEVITABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS JUDGEMENT IS SUBJECT TO SHORT-TERM OR LONG-TERM REVISION IN RESPONSE TO SOCIAL FORCES. AT ANY ONE TIME, VARIOUS SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY MAY NOT AGREE THAT A PARTICULAR ACT IS VIOLENT OR, IF IT IS VIOLENT, WHETHER THE VIOLENCE IS ACCEPTABLE. SUCH A PERSPECTIVE HELPS TO EXPLAIN WHY CERTAIN ACTS (POLICE BRUTALITY, AGGRESSION OF PRISON GUARDS, INMATE RIOTS, WIFE BEATING, CHILD ABUSE, ETC.) HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE PUBLIC CONCEPTION OF VIOLENCE. A SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATION OF SOCIAL CHANGE ACCOUNTS FOR THE OBSERVATION THAT CERTAIN VIOLENT ACTS WITH LONG-TERM HISTORICAL BASES ONLY GRADUALLY COME UNDER PUBLIC SCRUTINY AND ARE ACKNOWLEDGED AS VIOLENT. THERE IS A MULTISTAGE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH THE VIOLENT ACT MOVES FROM THE PRIVATE (FAMILY) DOMAIN, WHERE IT MAY EVEN BE PERCEIVED TO HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS, TO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, WHERE IT IS CONSIDERED A PROBLEM, A CRIME, AND BASICALLY AN UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOR REQUIRING INTERVENTION AND CONTROL. THREE SOCIAL ISSUES--RAPE, CHILD ABUSE, AND WIFE BATTERING--ILLUSTRATE THE SIX STAGES IN THIS PROCESS: TACIT PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE, PUBLIC AWARENESS, A 'COMING FORTH' OF VICTIMS, PUBLIC POLICY ENACTMENT, ENFORCEMENT, AND TRUE CONTROL. (LKM)