After a decade of research, the deterrent effect of arrest on spouse abuse recidivism has not been clearly established. The pro-arrest movement has, however emerged as the mainstay of public policy, even though it is an overly simplistic solution for a complex social problem. The continuing high rates of spouse abuse have less to do with the failure of police to arrest than to a collective failure of imagination in addressing the problem. The citizenry in general and policymakers in particular have shown little commitment to preventive measures that would address the root causes of spouse abuse. Also, the general push for stronger police action, particularly more arrests of alleged offenders, has diverted a variety of advocates from a scrutiny of the larger criminal justice system and the associated social service system. At the local level, community advocates fight an uphill battle to secure funds for support services such as shelters, victim service agencies, and therapy groups for abusive men. Finally, the statutory threshold requirements for defining the grounds for both misdemeanor and felony arrests may be too high in domestic violence situations. The time for more radically protective laws is long overdue. 69 references