The first article addresses the utility of mandatory arrest policies in domestic violence cases and presents a critical examination of social science research projects and how they have prematurely influenced policy development. The next article analyzes potential criminal justice interventions in spouse assault cases. The author recommends that the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS) be used to classify cases of domestic violence and that the CTS be integrated into criminal justice policies. Authors of the third article contend that the role of arrest as a deterrent to domestic violence is deeply flawed, while the fourth article discusses victim preferences in determining the police response to domestic violence victims. Subsequent articles consider issues pertinent to battered women in the criminal justice system and the inappropriate current emphasis on deterrent effects of arrest. Studies that explore how and why the criminal justice system treats domestic violence have had a significant impact far beyond most behavioral research projects. In addition, the historical response to domestic violence has exhibited several characteristics: few domestic violence cases have been formally processed by the criminal justice system; police officers have avoided intervention in domestic violence cases; and a strong bias has prevailed against the use of arrest. References, notes, and tables