The methodology was based on the traditional crime victim survey approach and was conducted using telephone interviews and computer assisted interviewing. The sample consisted of 12,300 women 18 years of age and older who were questioned about their experiences as victims of sexual and physical assault since the age of 16. This survey differs from crime victim surveys in design and in scope. For example, noncriminal acts of sexual harassment that form a component of women's awareness and perceptions of vulnerability are included for a more comprehensive understanding of women¦s fear. The survey contains details about the circumstances, precursors, and dynamics of violent events necessary to test theories about the etiology of assaults on women. The lead article discusses the ethical considerations involved in conducting survey research on this topic, the concepts used in the survey to measure sexual and physical violence, and some general findings concerning the prevalence of violence, sexual harassment, and controlling and emotionally abusive acts by spouses. Six additional articles examine: (1) Power versus feminist theories of wife abuse; (2) Lethal and nonlethal violence against wives; (3) Women's non-spousal multiple victimization: A test of the routine activities theory; (4) The effect of victim-offender relationship on reporting crimes of violence against women; (5) Victimization and fear: Assessing the role of offender and offense; and (6) Reflections on findings from the Violence Against Women Survey. Tables, references, figures, notes