Specifically, the research examined what particular acts the public defines as "always" or "sometimes" wife abuse and whether the public's perception of the criminalization of acts of abuse over a 1-year period is becoming increasingly harsher. In addition, comparisons were made between demographic variables and endorsements of acts of wife abuse as "always" abuse or "sometimes" abuse. The study was a descriptive, exploratory study in which data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire, which was hand-delivered and retrieved, to randomly selected households within the city limits of a southern city. Data were collected during three time periods: 1986-87, 1991-92, and 1996-97. Data were collected from non-institutionalized adult residents over the age of 18. The study findings indicate that the public has a low tolerance for interpersonal violence directed at women, and the public's perception of the criminalization of wife abuse has become harsher over time. The public's willingness to define a range of physical, psychological, and financial acts as wife abuse and to increasingly support harsher penalties for such acts has policy implications for the development of standards for domestic violence shelters and the establishment of network systems and interdisciplinary approaches to wife abuse. The development and expansion of domestic violence shelters for women and children is critical for continued intervention into domestic violence cases. 5 tables and 48 references