The study was prompted by awareness that the access to quality health care for abuse victims is often limited by the attitudes of health care professionals. The study's independent variables included the level of sex-role egalitarianism, the level of perceived personal control over life events, a family history of violence, and any current involvement in a violent relationship. Results revealed that students who had more egalitarian beliefs regarding sex roles and a greater sense of control over life events were more sympathetic to battered women than were students who had more traditional sex-role attitudes and less perceived control. Sex-role egalitarianism was the best predictor of attitudes toward victims of domestic assault. Findings indicate the need to educate nursing students about gender issues at both the societal and practice levels and the need for nursing educators to be aware of their own gender-specific beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Discussions of further implications and research needs, tables, and 68 references (Author abstract modified)