ABSTRACT
The family's experiences are defined in terms of its own interactions and meanings, and it is itself reproduced by individuals in the family, since individuals are nurtured and socialized by the family. Society contains individuals who conform to or react against attitudes concerning violence and violent behaviour, whether physical, sexual, or emotional. Society legitimizes violence and sees the violence or "discipline" of family members as being approved in its proper place and sanctions sexual activities and expectations. Weakness, vulnerability, and dependency are central unifying and common features of all types of family violence, and until recently there has been an extraordinary lack of social consequences for aggression of all types within the family. Family violence is more often associated with certain structural issues such as social class, culture, and values. If parents' consciousness was raised about the inappropriateness of violence, then the process of reducing violence towards children began.
