The findings of the 1992 BCS are discussed in terms of what they reveal about the nature of domestic violence, the victims and their lifetime experience of domestic violence, and the correlation between these figures and other estimates. The advantages of the BCS in estimating the extent of domestic violence is that it surveys a nationally representative sample, has a relatively high response rate, and collects information on enough incidents to provide reliable details of their nature. On the other hand, some women may be reluctant to identify their experiences as crimes, within the context of a general crime survey, explaining why estimates from other sources have been higher. 3 tables and 9 references