Victims of conjugal violence initiate criminal charges against their mates for a variety of reasons and motivations. Victims are motivated by the need for protection, by feelings of revenge, by the need to proclaim their tolerance for further abuse, and by the desire to empower themselves in asserting their interests within the relationship. By misunderstanding motivations, criminal justice agents can create additional conflict for victims. For this study, victims of misdemeanor batteries were interviewed immediately after filing their complaints to learn about the circumstances which motivated them to prosecute. Analysis of responses from 272 victim complainants documents the incidence of different motives for prosecuting, describes how the motives interplay with victim expectations for case outcomes, and discusses their impact on the likelihood of victims dropping charges. 1 figure, 3 tables. (Author abstract modified)