THE REPORT OPENS WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE NATURE AND DIMENSIONS OF THE PROBLEM OF BATTERED WOMEN, INCLUDING THE CAUSES OF VIOLENCE TOWARD WOMEN AND THE REASONS BEHIND THE BATTERED WOMAN'S RELUCTANCE TO LEAVE THE MAN WHO IS ABUSING HER. THE LACK OF STATISTICS ON BATTERED WOMEN NATIONWIDE DEMONSTRATES THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE PROBLEM IS HIDDEN. THE PROBLEM IS EXTREMELY COMPLEX, REPRESENTING AN EXTENSION OF THE BROADER ISSUES OF VIOLENCE AND SEXISM. ST. PAUL'S SHELTER AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR BATTERED WOMEN ARE DESCRIBED. PROBLEMS IN ATTEMPTING TO DOCUMENT THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM OF BATTERED WOMEN IN ST. PAUL ARE DISCUSSED. ISSUES RELATED TO PHYSICAL ABUSE OF WOMEN--CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY, DIVORCE, CHILD ABUSE, HOMICIDE, PREGNANCY-ARE CONSIDERED. POSSIBLE APPROACHES TO DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM INVOLVE LEGISLATIVE REFORM AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCREASING COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM OF BATTERED WOMEN, FOR EXPANDING THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THESE WOMEN, AND FOR IMPROVING THE ABILITY OF POLICE AND OTHER WORKERS TO ASSIST BATTERED WOMEN ARE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD OF ST. PAUL'S COMMUNITY PLANNING ORGANIZATION. AN OUTLINE OF STUDY METHODOLOGY, A PARTIALLY ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION (INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF WOMEN'S ADVOCATES, INC., WHICH PROVIDES MOST SERVICES FOR BATTERED WOMEN IN ST. PAUL) ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)