The significance of gender issues and the social structure of women's subordination is often overlooked in discussions of men who batter, despite the fact that the physical chastisement of wives was legal less than 100 years ago in our society. A related trend is the confusion and ambiguity concerning issues of victimization and responsibility for the battering. Finally, much of the recent literature has shifted from a concept of sickness to one of temporary insanity as an explanation of wife beating. Thus, batterers are often portrayed as victims of child abuse and of their wives' verbal and emotional abuse as well. However, the notion of loss of control is just as unacceptable as are other rationalizations by batterers. Clinicians who accept such views may wittingly or unwittingly strengthen the batterer's rationalizations for beating his wife. Note and 43 references.