IT IS STATED THAT WIFE BEATING FOLLOWS MUCH THE SAME PATTERN AS CHILD ABUSE. MANY WOMEN ARE BEATEN DURING PREGNANCY, POSSIBLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO STRIKE OUT AT OR TERMINATE THE UNBORN CHILD. IN CANADA, THE INCIDENCE OF WIFE BEATING IS NOT STATISTICALLY DETERMINED, AND GOVERNMENTS ARE UNAWARE OF THE EXTENT AND SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM. THIS PARALLELS THE POOR RECORDKEEPING ON CHILD ABUSE INCIDENCE. WIFE ABUSE IS TREATED AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM AND NOT A CRIME IN CANADA. WOMEN IN ALL THREE NATIONS OFTEN HESITATE TO REPORT BEATINGS IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FAMILY TOGETHER, BECAUSE THEY ARE FINANCIALLY DEPENDENT ON THE HUSBAND, OR BECAUSE THEY ARE ASHAMED THAT THEY ARE BEING BEATEN. WHEN THEY FINALLY SEEK HELP, IT IS OFTEN UNAVAILABLE. A 1970 BRITISH STUDY OF 100 BEATEN WIVES IS CITED TO DESCRIBE INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH WIFE ABUSE. BRUISES, LACERATIONS, BROKEN BONES, AND BURNS ARE COMMON INJURIES. IT IS STATED THAT IN CANADA, BRITAIN, AND THE UNITED STATES, WIFE ABUSE IS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE SOCIAL SPECTRUM. ALCOHOL PLAYS A LARGE PART IN THE BATTERED WIFE SYNDROME, AS IT DOES IN THE BATTERED CHILD SYNDROME. NORTH AMERICAN POLICE ARE TRAINED TO VIEW WIFE BEATING AS A FAMILY MATTER AND THE HUSBAND IS ARRESTED ONLY AFTER SEVERAL BEATINGS ARE REPORTED. SOME POORLY TRAINED OFFICERS MAY IDENTIFY WITH THE HUSBAND. THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF OFFICER INJURIES DURING DOMESTIC QUARREL INTERVENTION IS NOTED. A STUDY IS CITED IN WHICH WOMEN WERE BEATEN BY MEN IN FRONT OF MALE WITNESSES. THE WATCHING MEN MADE NO ATTEMPT TO HELP THE VICTIM, ALTHOUGH IN ANY OTHER TESTED ASSAULT SITUATION (I.E., A WOMAN BEATING A WOMAN, A MAN BEATING A MAN) MALE WITNESSES INTERVENED. WIFE AND CHILD ABUSE IS CONSIDERED TO BE CONDONED OR ENCOURAGED THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION. (DAG)