Violence in the family is defined as a mode of behavior involving the use of physical force among family members. Such force varies in severity from homicide at one extreme to mild spankings at the other. It also varies by intent. In some cases the intent is to control people's behavior; in other cases it is to vent personal hostility; in still other cases it is a mixture of both. A third way family violence varies is by cultural interpretation: homicide is rarely considered legitimate in any society, but spankings are often considered among various social groups as necessary to the socialization process. A review of empirical research shows clearly that violence in the family is common in all societies. Homicide, the most extreme form of interpersonal violence, occurs in the U.S. more often among family members than it does among persons who are unrelated by family ties. This annotated bibliography reviews scientific books and articles on violence in the family, largely those published in the last 10 years. Topics include theoretical issues, incidence of family violence, studies of different family members, the relation of violence to social factors, and the effectiveness of social services in preventing family violence. (Author)