This article reports on the qualitative analyses of 33 cases of domestic violence reported in interviews with women refugees from Bosnia and Croatia. The general characteristic of all the cases is that the beginning or aggravation of violence was related to: the return of soldiers; nationalism; and aggravation of social position and financial situation resulting from refugee status or from economic dependence of either husband or wife as a consequence of economic crises and refugee status. Twenty molesters were husbands and 11 were sons. The majority of women were Serbs, one was Moslem and two were Croats. Six women lived with husbands of different nationalities. Belonging to different ethnic groups or differences in political opinions of spouses was a source of conflict and violence in marriages. Domestic violence against women may also be related to frustrations produced by refugee status. A special problem existed in families which accepted refugees, The imbalance in the family created by newcomers was used by men as a reason for violence against women. The majority of women called police for help, but police either did not intervene or their intervention was not effective. Reference