Issues central to Lebanese society, such as the predicaments of women, children, domestic keepers, the effects of the civil war, and recovery from that war are essential to the understanding of family violence in Lebanon. Lebanese society tends to adhere to a patriarchal and age hierarchy: Men and elders preside over women and juniors, with few exceptions (Joseph, 1993a; see record 1994-21131-001; Joseph 1993b). Within this tradition, men have the authority to direct the actions and behaviors of the women in their families, blood or otherwise. Efforts by women and young people to challenge this hierarchy may be a source of conflict in families today. "Honor" crimes in which women and girls can be subjected to violence for liaisons with males are not unheard of. Domestic help, almost always women from outside Lebanon and the Arab world, find themselves in an even more vulnerable position than Lebanese women. Lebanon does not currently have laws in effect to protect the rights of these women. In this chapter, Lebanese participants' perspectives on child, spousal, and elder abuse supplement data on the prevalence and nature of these forms of family violence in Lebanon. The Lebanese macrosystem and family microsystem are also described.