THE AUSTRALIAN ROYAL COMMISSION ON HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS CONDUCTED TWO STUDIES ON BATTERED WIVES, ONE OFFERING REFUGE, THE OTHER A 'PHONE-IN' REPORTING SERVICE FOR THE WOMEN. IN THE FIRST STUDY, 111 WOMEN SOUGHT ACCOMMODATION FROM THE REFUGE SERVICE, RESULTING IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF FAMILY SITUATIONS WHERE VIOLENCE WAS FREQUENT AND SEVERE WERE IDENTIFIED, OFTEN GOING BACK AT LEAST ONE GENERATION. FACTORS SUCH AS UNEMPLOYMENT AND ALCOHOL WERE COMMON, AND PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EFFECTS ON THE CHILDREN WERE TRAGIC. RESULTS OF THE PHONE-IN LED TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF WOMEN WHOSE PARTNERS HAD HIGHER JOB STATUS, SUGGESTING THAT FAMILY VIOLENCE IS WIDESPREAD THROUGHOUT SOCIETY. EXPLANATIONS OF ABUSE CAUSES DEPEND ON THE PERSPECTIVES OF DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES. SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS INVOLVE CULTURAL NORMS, CLASS ALIENATION FROM DOMINANT SOCIAL VALUES, AND CONCEPTS OF SEX ROLES. PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS CITE LEARNED BEHAVIOR, INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, PERSONALITY INTERACTIONS, FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION, AND THE USE OF LEGAL DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. IN ADDITION, BIOLOGICAL THEORIES EXPLAIN AGGRESSION AS A BASIC INSTINCTIVE DRIVE, PART OF DOMINANCE HIERARCHIES AND CHARACTERISTIC OF SUPERIOR PHYSICAL CAPACITY. COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INDICATE OVERWHELMING MALE INVOLVEMENT WITH ALL TYPES OF VIOLENCE, RELATING TO THE MALES' PHYSICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL POWER IN THE SOCIETY. BOTH CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LEGAL REMEDIES WERE EVALUATED AND FOUND INADEQUATE FOR DEALING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. OF PARTICULAR CONCERN IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE BURDEN OF TAKING ACTION IN INITIATING PROSECUTION, APPLYING FOR RELIEF, AND SEEKING ENFORCEMENT UPON BREACH OF COURT ORDERS IS IMPOSED ON THE BATTERED WIFE, PLACING HER IN JEOPARDY OF FURTHER ABUSE. MORE ACTIVE AND POSITIVE INTERFERENCE IN FAMILY VIOLENCE SITUATIONS IS REQUIRED BY POLICE, MAGISTRATES, LAWYERS, JUDGES AND SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL. MINIMAL FUNDING AT FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS HAS BEEN OBTAINED FOR VICTIM ASSISTANCE, BUT THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROBLEM REQUIRES FURTHER EFFORT. TABULAR DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. (MRK)