For the purposes of this book, domestic violence is defined as spousal abuse and, more particularly, the abuse perpetrated by men against women with whom they have or have had an intimate relationship. To provide the reader with a broad view of the issue, domestic violence is explored from historical, social, psychological, and legal perspectives. Because the problem has a long history but has only recently been accepted as a serious crime, there are differing perspectives and conflicting attitudes regarding the cause and possible solutions. This book provides various perspectives, facts, and statistics, along with enough information from actual cases to allow readers to draw their own conclusions. The book should also provide readers with the tools necessary to access additional information on domestic violence and related topics. One chapter lists nationwide organizations, each of which has statistics, journals, newsletters, and other forms of information available to the public. Two chapters are complete and annotated bibliographies. A subject index