Violence in the family, particularly assault by husbands upon wives (often referred to as wife beating), is a social crisis to which much attention has been drawn by the women's movement. Results of numerous studies indicate that spouse assault rarely occurs as an isolated violent episode, but more often follows a pattern in which attacks by the…

Recent studies have investigated the transition of relationships from a more intimate to a less intimate state--the depenetration process. Various phases of interpersonal conflict in the dissolution of marital dyads have been described, and factors indicating that a marriage might be "in trouble" have been identified. Processes that are…