A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW SHOWS THAT WIFEBEATING HAS ONLY RECENTLY COME TO BE REGARDED AS A CRIME; RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL TRADITIONS WHICH HAVE PERPETUATED VIOLENCE IN MARRIAGE ARE NOTED. A RESEARCH PROJECT PROBING A CROSS-SECTION OF 150 BATTERED WOMEN CORROBORATES THE PREMISE THAT WIFEBEATING IS A SOCIAL PROBLEM GENENERATED AND COMPOUNDED BY MANY FACTORS. THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE ISSUE ARE COVERED IN ARTICLES ON THE SOCIAL DYNAMICS OF MARITAL VIOLENCE, ON THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE BETWEEN SPOUSES, AND ON THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF WIFEBEATING. ADDITIONAL ARTICLES INVESTIGATE THE NEUROLOGICAL, PSYCHIATRIC, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS INVOLVED. A SECTION ON THE LAW AND LAW ENFORCEMENT EXAMINES THE TREATMENT OF WIFEBEATING IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, LEGAL SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM, TRAINING KEYS DESIGNED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE, THE POLICE RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND APPROACHES TO FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION. THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF WIFEBEATING, MEDIATION AND THE COMMUNITY DISPUTE CENTER, A STUDY OF 23 VIOLENT MATRIMONIAL CASES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OVER THE GENERATIONS WITHIN A FAMILY, LEGISLATIVE NEEDS AND SOLUTIONS, AND A MODEL FOR SERVICES BASED ON NEW YORK CITY'S ABUSED WOMEN'S AID IN CRISIS (AWAIC) PROGRAM ARE INCLUDED IN THE CHAPTER ON FUTURE TRENDS AND PREVENTION. APPENDIXES PRESENT THE AWAIC 1976-1977 PROGRESS REPORT, NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND LEGISLATION REGARDING WIFEBEATING, AND INFORMATON ON A 1975 NEW YORK CITY CONFERENCE ENTITLED 'THE ABUSED AND BATTERED WOMAN IN CRISIS -A MULTI-FACETED APPROACH.' AN INDEX IS PROVIDED. FOR SEPARATE ARTICLES, SEE NCJ 13282, 17606, 38659, AND 45267-45279.