This article attempts to draw the interest of the research community to the problems faced by new researchers encountering violence in the field. It is proposed that new fieldworkers are prepared inadequately for settings in which there is a possibility of violence occurring. Drawing on the first hand experiences of two women researchers, the analysis takes the form of a discussion of the difficulties of addressing the issue of self-protection and prior advice. Specific research projects discussed that involved violence directed toward the authors in their respective roles as researchers were projects involving research into aspects of risk and safety in the lives of prostitute women and research within a rehabilitation center for deaf people. The discussion concludes that each occurrence of violence is intrinsically context-specific and raises the question of why violence in research settings appears to be veiled in silence. Neither author/researcher felt that their gender precipitated the violent attacks. References