RESEARCH SUPPORTED BY THE SCOTTISH HOME AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF WIFE BEATING IS TAKING TWO TACKS: INDEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED BY THEIR HUSBANDS AND EXAMINATION OF POLICE AND COURT RECORDS. THREE CASE STUDIES DRAWN FROM 1974 RECORDS IN GLASGOW AND EDINBURGH ILLUSTRATE SEVERAL ASPECTS OF WIFE BEATING: INJURIES OFTEN ARE SEVERE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION; MOST ASSAULTS OCCUR IN THE HOME; AND THE MOST COMMON FORM OF ATTACK IS REPEATED BLOWS TO THE HEAD AND BODY WITH FISTS AND FEET. STATISTICS FROM THE SAME RECORDS SHOW THAT, WHILE FEW CASES HANDLED BY THE POLICE INVOLVE VIOLENCE OF ANY KIND, 34.5 PERCENT OF THE VIOLENT CASES INVOLVE FAMILY MEMBERS. VIOLENCE BY HUSBANDS AGAINST WIVES IS THE SECOND MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED FORM OF VIOLENCE, THE MOST FREQUENT BEING VIOLENCE BETWEEN MALES. WITHIN THE CATEGORY OF VIOLENCE AMONG FAMILY MEMBERS, MOST (72.7 PERCENT) CASES INVOLVE ASSAULTS BY HUSBANDS ON WIVES, WITH ASSAULTS ON CHILDREN ACCOUNTING FOR 11 PERCENT AND ASSAULTS ON PARENTS 7 PERCENT. CLEARLY THE FAMILY MEMBER MOST LIKELY TO BE ASSAULTED IS THE WIFE AND THE LEAST VULNERABLE IS THE HUSBAND. THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT MANY INCIDENTS OF WIFE BEATING GO UNREPORTED. SEVERAL FACTORS IN ASSAULTS BY HUSBANDS ON WIVES HAVE EMERGED FROM INTERVIEWS WITH BATTERED WIVES. IT APPEARS THAT WIFE BEATING, LIKE OTHER VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, IS LEARNED. SUPPORTED BY SOCIETY'S VIEW OF WOMEN AND WIVES AS APPROPRIATE VICTIMS, MEN COME TO BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD CONTROL THEIR WIVES AND THAT VIOLENCE IS ONE MEANS OF MAINTAINING OR REGAINING CONTROL. THERE EXISTS A NEED BOTH TO PROVIDE FOR THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF BATTERED WOMEN AND TO WORK ON A LONG-TERM BASIS TO IMPROVE THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN MARRIAGE AND IN SOCIETY. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)