Issues studied by psychologists and sociologists include: (1) How widespread is partner abuse? (2) How is it measured? (3) What is the range of abuse severity in spouses who seek treatment? (4) What are the different types of treatment available? and (5) How effective are these treatments? Reducing spouse abuse will require a systematic community effort involving law enforcement, medical and mental health service providers, shelters, and advocacy groups. It is unlikely that any single approach - legal, therapeutic or political intervention - will suffice. The authors review: (1) prevalence and significance of the problem of violence between intimate partners; (2) import of the problem for society; (3) the resulting mental health consequences; (4) relevance for the legal profession; (5) detection and assessment of cases and additional dynamics of relevance for attorneys; (6) treatment alternatives; and (7) treatment outcome and failure to distinguish among types and levels of aggression. Footnotes, appendix