Forty-eight urban African-American, 39 rural African-American, 42 urban white, and 39 rural white women participated in the study. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 50 years. All had experienced physical violence in intimate relationships and had been free of violence for at least 6 months. A total of 22 focus groups in five U.S. regions were convened. The discussion guide included probes for each area of inquiry, including early warning signs of partner violence, women's reasons for staying in the abusive relationship, factors associated with taking steps to end the violence, and factors that would help women move through the process of change from living with a violent partner to cessation of intimate partner violence. The focus groups showed that intimate partner violence can occur in relationships irrespective of socioeconomic status, education, ethnicity, or locale. The following categories of special prevention implications emerged from the study: vigilance in identifying early warning signs, the role of family history of abuse, and reaching early adolescents before they initiate intimate relationships. Implications are also drawn for intervention. 12 references