Women who ended their relationship with an abusive partner after only 1 to 3 incidents of moderate physical abuse (n=94) generally did not live with the abuser, had high resilience and self-esteem, and had zero tolerance for abuse. Most ended the relationship with the help of a parent or older brother. They sometimes called the police and obtained a temporary protective order. Women who experienced an abusive relationship that ranged from 3 to 15 incidents of physical attacks over several months to 2 years (n=104) were usually living with the abuser and had no children in the home. The women ended the relationship with the help of the police, a family member, or a friend after a particularly severe attack. Women who experienced consistently severe abuse over a period of 5 to 40 years (n=38) lived with the batterer and were economically and socially dependent on him. Other women experienced an escalation in the severity of abuse over a period of 5 to 35 years (n=160). Twenty-four of the latter cases involved mutual combat. The 105 women who killed their batterer had been abused over a period of 2 to 35 years. These women lacked a high school education and the skill to earn sufficient income on their own. Almost half had been on public assistance for many years during the abuse. They usually killed their partners after his death threats became more explicit and the attacks more severe. The proposed model of crisis intervention involves police domestic violence units, 24-hour crisis hotlines, and social service delivery systems. 1 table and 23 references