A total of 1,746 women who had been assaulted by a male intimate partner were selected from a larger pool of women interviewed by Pretrial Services following the arrest of their spouse/partner on domestic abuse charges. All of the women reported prior physical assaults by the same spouse/partner listed in the instant offense. In addition to being asked to describe previous physical assaults and psychological abuse by their current spouse/partner, the women were also asked whether they had ever sought "formal counseling/supportive services" to help them deal with the abuse. Consistent with previous relevant studies, a minority of the victims reported the prior use of such services (14.9 percent). African-American women, younger women, women in dating relationships, and women from block groups of lower socioeconomic status were less likely to use formal counseling/supportive services. Caucasian victims were three times more likely to seek help than African-American victims. The severity of prior abuse was also found to be significantly predictive of the use of services; and women with young children and women who reported that their children had witnessed domestic violence were more likely than their respective counterparts to seek counseling/supportive services. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed. 4 tables and 41 references