A general discussion of domestic violence is followed by consideration of how this study contributes to an understanding of abuse by incorporating both the men's and women's perspectives, examining the violence over time, and using the interactionist perspective. After detailing the study methodology, the book describes each respondent's background and the history and nature of the current violent relationship. A discussion of the first pattern of control in domestic violence relationships indicates that respondents made sense of the violence they used or experienced by describing the batterer's emotions and behavior as in or out of control. A social psychological model is used to explain violence in terms of control. The model resolves competing explanations in the domestic violence literature (that violence is controlled and instrumental versus being uncontrolled and impulsive) by showing the conditions under which each is true. Study data are used to show how the model operates. The book explains that repeated violent acts stem from the batterer's wanting to control the woman's behavior. Becoming nonviolent over time is accompanied by the batterer's avoiding attempted control over his partner while controlling his own emotions and behavior. The book concludes with a discussion of the general implications of the research and future concerns for interactionists. Subject index, author index, 88 references.