This chapter examines the evolution of criminological theories with particular attention to their application in understanding family violence. Traditional criminological perspectives, such as strain theory, social learning theory, and life course, are explored for their contributions to explaining crime as a result of the inability to cope with negative emotions, peer associations, and developmental trajectories. While these frameworks highlight key risk factors such as socioeconomic strain, delinquent friends, and employment, they often neglect the structural inequalities that shape perpetration and victimization. In response, contemporary frameworks have expanded the scope of inquiry by incorporating analyses of race, gender, sexuality, and power. Victimology emphasizes the experiences and resilience of victims-survivors while drawing attention to institutional responses and barriers to justice. Feminist Criminology situates family violence within patriarchal structures, highlighting issues of agency, gender inequality, and criminal legal responses. Critical Criminology broadens the definition of crime to include systemic inequalities and state-sanctioned harms, while Queer Criminology addresses the long-standing invisibility and marginalization of LGBTQIA+ individuals within criminological research. Taken together, these theoretical perspectives underscore the necessity of moving beyond individual-level explanations toward frameworks that account for structural oppression, intersectional experiences, and survivor-centered approaches to prevention, intervention, and justice.