Two key issues are addressed: (1) whether greater sensitivity to the issue of violence encourages those on the receiving end to report their victimization to the police and courts; and (2) the response of criminal justice agencies to reported assaults. The research was based on assault victims who received treatment at an accident and emergency department in England. About an hour was spent with victims, discussing as fully as possible circumstances of the assault, their attitudes toward criminalization, and their reflections on what happened to them. The distinction between public and private purposes in prosecuting assault and the relationship between assault seriousness and criminalization were explored. Research findings are reported in terms of the reality of assault, harm and reporting, the relationship between victims and the police, limits of police discretion, legal demands on police officers and prosecutors, procedures involved in detecting assault, police case construction, and victims in court. Appendixes contain a description of the research method and a brief summary of stories told by victims. References, notes, tables, and figures