This 1977 study of 60 battered women found that lifelong violence was a frequent pattern for many abused wives. Half of the women reported violence between parents, paternal alcoholism, and their own physical or sexual abuse as children. This family pattern was repeated in their own adult lives. Many women left their marriages for brief periods but invariably returned because of economic and emotional dependence on husbands and threats of further violence from which they had no protection. Psychiatric histories suggested prior psychological dysfunction for more than half of the women. Depressive illness was the most frequent diagnosis; manic-depressive psychosis, schizophrenia, alcoholism, and personality disorders were represented to a lesser degree. These women were a study in the paralyzing terror reminiscent of the rape trauma syndrome; the stress, however, was unending and the threat of assault ever present. In contrast to their dreams, in which they actively attempted to protect themselves, the waking lives of these women were characterized by overwhelming passivity and inability to act. Like rape victims, battered women rarely experienced their anger directly. It is probable that the constellation of passivity, guilt, intense fear of the unexpected, and violent nightmares reflect not only fear of another assault but a constant struggle with the self to contain and control aggressive impulses. The core issues for psychotherapeutic work are the woman's markedly impaired self-esteem, emotional isolation, and mistrust. Because her behavioral changes during therapy may lead to escalation of her husband's violent behavior, she should not be pushed beyond her perceived 'safe boundaries.' Treatment options may expand if the woman is protected from further violence or if her husband is motivated to seek help. Evaluation services for victims and their children are needed, as are programs that focus on unlearning aggressive behavior patterns and teaching nonviolent models for relationships. Seventy-three references are appended.