A variety of institutions structurally create the conditions for women's subservience to men. These include the organization and history of marriage, the organization of the economy that structures preferred jobs and wages for men, the legal and religious systems that structure men as the 'head of the family,' and sex-role socialization that encourages male supremacist relations between men and women and equates aggression and violence with masculinity. While wife beating is a crime, police are reluctant to intervene in what is perceived as a family matter. Many women are trapped in violent homes because they have nowhere to go and no means to support themselves. Mental health professionals generally view wife beating in terms of the psychological interaction between victim and offender, often blaming the victim and supporting the oppressive man-over-woman power relationship in marriage. While there is increasing recognition of the effects of domestic violence and the needs of both women and children, changes in police attitudes and the legal response, new legislation, and emergency shelters are merely stop-gap measures. Changes are needed in social attitudes that reinforce nonegalitarian power relationships if wife beating is to be eliminated. 34 references. (Author abstract modified)