The way in which questions are asked, as well as what type of questions are included, shapes the responses gained from survey research. As such, the author examined a 1997 survey questionnaire about domestic violence that was conducted in Finland. The goal was to determine the way in which questions and issues within the survey instrument were framed in order to gain insight into the responses received from study participants. The author examined the way in which violence was defined within the survey and how the definition attempted to take into account special circumstances surrounding domestic violence in an effort to help respondents remember and identify incidents of domestic violence. The analysis revealed that the definition of domestic violence used in the survey did not clearly convey this type of violence to all populations who participated in the survey research. As a result, the types of domestic violence experienced by older and less educated women were probably underreported. Furthermore, those who felt embarrassed about experiencing domestic violence were also more likely to underreport domestic violence. The author concludes that definitions of violence depend upon the cultural and social experiences of the survey respondent and, as such, it is difficult to create a victimization survey that captures all experiences of domestic violence. References, appendices