AS USED HERE, 'BATTERED WOMEN' REFERS TO ADULT WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY PHYSICALLY ABUSED IN WAYS WHICH CAUSED PAIN OR INJURY, OR WHO WERE FORCED INTO INVOLUNTARY ACTION OR RESTRAINED BY FORCE FROM VOLUNTARY ACTION, BY ADULT MEN WITH WHOM THEY HAVE OR HAD ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS, WHETHER OR NOT WITHIN A LEGALLY MARRIED STATE. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE SADOMASOCHISTIC SEX PLAY OR MUTUAL COMBAT. THERE ARE THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE THEORETICAL SCHEMA: MODEL I -- CAUSATION; MODEL II -- PRIMARY BATTERING; AND MODEL III -- SECONDARY BATTERING. MODEL II EXPLAINS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERACTING FEMALE AND MALE WHICH DETERMINE IF BATTERING MAY OCCUR, AND IF IT DOES, HOW THE FEMALE MAY RESPOND. THE BASIC CAUSATION OF WOMAN BATTERING IS SEEN IN TRADITIONAL IDEOLOGY, WHICH ENCOMPASSES A BROAD RANGE OF INTERNALIZED BELIEFS IN ACCEPTANCE OF THE 'RIGHTNESS' OF THE PATRIARCHAL-HIERARCHAL ORDER OF THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE. PRIMARY BATTERING IS THE FIRST SINGLE INCIDENCE OF BATTERING; SECONDARY BATTERING IS A PHENOMENON OF SYSTEMATIC, REPEATED BATTERINGS. EACH INVOLVES A DIFFERENT SET OF EXPLANATORY VARIABLES. FOUR MAJOR PROPOSITIONS ARE PRESENTED CONCERNING WHY BATTERING BEGINS AND WHY IT CONTINUES: (1) THE GREATER THE ACCEPTANCE BY THE WEAKER PARTNER OF BATTERING AS A PROPER RESPONSE TO STRESS AND THE MORE INTENSE THE TRADITIONAL IDEOLOGY, THE GREATER THE LIKELIHOOD THAT BATTERING WILL OCCUR; (2) THE GREATER THE WILLINGNESS TO INVEST IN CONJUGAL RELATIONSHIPS AND THE MORE INTENSE THE TRADITIONAL IDEOLOGY, THE GREATER THE LIKELIHOOD THAT BATTERING WILL NOT RESULT IN RETALIATION OR TERMINATION OF A CONJUGAL RELATIONSHIP; (3) THE MORE ONE PARTNER RESPONDS TO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS BY BATTERING, THE GREATER THE WILLINGNESS OF THE OTHER TO INVEST IN CONJUGAL RELATIONSHIPS, AND THE MORE INTENSE THE TRADITIONAL IDEOLOGY OF BOTH, THE MORE LIKELY BATTERING WILL OCCUR; AND (4) THE LESS LIKELY RETALIATION DUE TO BATTERING, THE MORE LIKELY THE BATTERER WILL CONTINUE; THE LONGER THE BATTERING CONTINUES, THE MORE FREQUENTLY IT OCCURS, AND THE GREATER ITS INTENSITY. LITTLE DATA HAS BEEN GATHERED IN SUPPORT OF THESE PROPOSITIONS; THEY ARE BASED UPON IMPRESSIONISTIC OBSERVATIONS FROM A PILOT STUDY. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (VDA)