In addition to physical abuse, the public viewed the abuse of elderly persons as consisting of psychological abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. Such abusive behaviors toward the elderly were viewed by the public as criminal, warranting classification as a felony; however, the public was less willing to send such offenders to prison. These findings were relatively universal and consistent over time and across the various demographic variables; however, there was a trend toward becoming more punitively oriented over time. Data were collected with four self-administered questionnaires delivered and retrieved from randomly selected households in Tuscaloosa, AL. Data were collected in 1986-87 (n=117), 1991-92 (n=134), and 1996-97 (n=159). The four separate surveys shared a common sampling frame, common variables, and common data-collection techniques. The first instrument focused on the location of domestic violence within the broader context of social violence. The second, third, and fourth instruments addressed the dimensions of domestic abuse and perceived need for criminalization for specific types of domestic abuse (spouse abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse). The population for the four surveys was the adult resident population of the city. 3 tables and 37 references