Family violence can be defined as one family member making violent, emotionally harmful or assaultive behaviors towards a "spouse, child or any other family member" (Besharov, 1990). Cases of family violence have been on the rise, as more husbands abuse their wives, mothers harm their children, one sibling assaults another, etc. A person who is physically. emotionally or sexually abused by a family member may suffer the consequences for the rest if their lives. .
Sexual abuse of children is usually evident when the heads in families, who are usually the male, use their position to victimize girls who are subordinate to them. The males victimize females and the older take advantage of the younger. Abuse of boys by males is not common and it is also very rare to find female family members abusing boys or girls. Men can also abuse their children sexually if they lose their jobs, fail financially or suffer certain setbacks leading them to release all their anger of failure on their children. Stress generated outside the marital circle drives them to become violent in their own homes. Thus, as far as sexual abuse of children in the family is concerned, the male members tend to abuse girls a lot more often. In physical abuse, the greatest volume of abuse is directed to powerless usually those below the age of sex years. The children become vulnerable at the hands of more powerful parents, especially their fathers (Besharov, 1990). Physical abuse of children begins with feelings of parental impotence. Mothers can become violent if they feel that they have lost control over their children. Although both men and women abuse children, there are higher incidences of men and fathers abusing children physically than do women and mothers. .
Similarly, in cases of spouse abuse the strong members in the family tend to abuse the weak members. Research also indicates that in families where a woman is less powerful because of not having a job, being excluded from decision making or having less education than her husband is considered to be at a higher risk of abuse.
