The study consisted of cases of family violence dealt with by the police in Turku, Finland from 1977 to 1980 and the adjudication of these cases by the courts. The data includes 173 cases, of which 73 were only dealt with by the police and 100 went to the courts. Most of the cases concerned violence between adults. Additional data were supplied by 22 interviews with people who had experienced family violence in Helsinki and by a national survey done in autumn of 1981. Most of the offenders were men. The offenders' average age was 35, and the victims' average age was 32. Most offenders and victims came from the lower classes. One half of the incidents took place on a weekend. Jealousy was a dominant theme in the cases, and alcohol was often involved. According to the survey, 44 percent of the population would not interfere in family violence incidents. Reasons victims cited for remaining in a violent relationship were children, shame, the offender's regret of the incident, and fear of a court trial. Tables and about 55 references are provided. (Author summary modified)