Data were from a nationwide study of courtship violence done by the author in 1981. Data consisted of questionnaire responses of 2,650 students from eight colleges and universities, including institutions from all major regions of the United States except the Northeast. Differences in "worst incident" courtship violence were compared for traditional first-date, casual dating, steady dating, engagement, living together, and "other" relationships in terms of rate, direct effects, whether the relationship broke up as a result of the incident, precipitating disagreement, and whether the violence was observed by witnesses. There may be two fundamental types of courtship violence: a particularly brutal and often sexually motivated type, which is more common in early-stage relationships, and a second type, which derives from coping with relationship difficulties such as jealousy and rejection, and which becomes more injurious in the later stages of courtship, when the investment in the relationship is greater. This chapter offers recommendations for further study and implications for policy and practice. 3 tables, 17 references.