While domestic violence is largely understood as a crime perpetrated by men against women, some researchers claim that women are as violent as men within the home. Such claims have been met with much criticism, yet more research is needed that compares domestic violence perpetration and victimization among males and females. The current study compared the contextual issues surrounding domestic violence, as well as injury frequency and severity among a convenience sample of 129 injured male (N=90) and female (N=39) patients presenting to a Level 1 trauma center. Participants completed a structured interview survey that inquired about interpersonal relationship violence, including past year frequency of violent victimization, frequency and severity of injury, and domestic violence injury. Results of statistical analyses indicated that females reported male-initiated violence more frequently than males reported female-initiated violence. Women more frequently reported using violence in response to an attack and to using law enforcement. Women also suffered higher rates of injuries than men in all severity categories and reported experiencing more fear than men during violent episodes. The findings underscore the importance of taking into account the contextual differences in partner violence for men and women. Implications for research, clinical practice, and domestic violence screening are discussed. Future research should widen the sample to include all potential study subjects rather than the relatively narrow range of emergency trauma patients studied here. Tables, references