The study's setting was Lincoln/Lancaster County, Neb., where spouse abuse is addressed through a coordinated effort under the Domestic Violence Coalition. Data were taken from spouse abuse incidents that occurred in the first 14 months of the coalition's effort. The response rate on victim interviews was 23 percent (146). Most reports of recidivistic abuse were obtained using a modified version of Straus' Conflict Tactics Scales in telephone interviews with victims. Multiple regression analysis was used to compare the effects of arrest and citation with no formal police action on the dependent variable of repeated abuse. The analysis showed that arrest, not citation, produced significantly less recidivism after an average of 14 months, compared to cases in which police took no formal action. 5 tables, 41 references.