ABSTRACT
Studies about the perpetrators of abuse and violence and their impact on women, children, refugees, and the assailants themselves, have recently taken center stage as a public issue of worldwide concern. Important questions regarding the perpetrators of abuse and violence are: What is it about a society that increases or decreases the likelihood of violence and abusive behaviors? How does social life shape, encourage, or discourages violence? Why is it critical to analyze health policies relating to perpetrators of violence and their victims? Why do some women respond to abuse with retaliatory violence?
