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With information from the CEDE 2003 survey, conducted to 2295 women in Bogotá, Barranquilla and Barrancabermeja, reproduction mechanisms of domestic violence were studied, particularly, severe physical mistreatment against women, from one generation to the next. Using probit models, factors that determine if a woman can be physically mistreated by her partner, given that he grew up in a violent and non-violent home, and factors that determine if a woman gets divorced from her violent partner, given that she grew up in a violent and non-violent home, were estimated. The results show how domestic violence is transmitted from generation to generation by learning (life experiences at home); nevertheless, there are mechanisms that break out the cycle of violence and reduce the proportion of families that reproduce aggressive behaviors in the next generation. Following Pollak's methodology (2002), divorce is the mechanism that reduces the most the level of domestic violence in some cities of Colombia, going from 33.4% of violent homes to 15.7%, in the long term. Assuming assortative mating, the level of domestic violence decreases to 14.8%. Simulation exercises, such as the increase in women education level, greater job opportunities and more access to health services, reduces the number of violent homes in the long term. Other variables related to family decision making were also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]