ABSTRACT
The violence and death following the terrible attack on September 11, 2001, has dwarfed much of the interest and research into "ordinary" street and family violence. Despite this, research on violence and its causes is not irrelevant to an understanding of what causes terrorism. One of the essential facts of science is its unpredictability. It may seem silly to study the shopping habits of violent people, or what their mother's eating habits were during pregnancy, when issues such as religious extremism or economic oppression seem so obviously critical to understanding violence. Bullying and school violence have emerged, in the early 21st century, as a serious social problem and point of concern. Violence in the family arena is easier and more convenient to perpetrate, more acceptable, and less likely to land the perpetrator in serious trouble. Helping families in day-to-day living might reduce the stress levels that predispose vulnerable individuals to violence.
