This investigation takes two approaches. The first consists of field interviews with social agents most likely to be contacted by battered wives. The other component includes a sample of adult female victims of domestic violence. Although at first it may seem to be an oversimplification, ultimately there are two major alternatives for battered women: one is to stay and attempt changes while remaining in the relationship, and the second is to leave the relationship. Almost all victims initially try the first alternative, sometimes attempting for years to change themselves, their spouses, or both, or whatever situational factors their spouses may claim cause their outbursts of violence (for example, meals, finances, housekeeping, and childrearing). When those efforts fail, they can either resign themselves to the situation or try to get help external to the home. Depending on the type of institutional reaction they receive, they may leave, effect change, or resign themselves to the violent situations and wait for release by death -- their own or their spouse's. Some try to escape through suicide; a few succeed. Almost half the survey respondents indicated they contemplated suicide at some point, and over 20 percent attempted suicide at least once. They also sought escape by attempting to kill their spouses; a few succeeded. Others leave the relationship when they are murdered by their spouses. In recent years, with modifications of divorce laws, increasing female employment, awakening social consciousness, and the opening of new options, an ever increasing number of women are taking the second alternative and leaving the relationship. Over 70 percent of the shelterees in this study reported at least one previous attempt to leave the relationship. Leaving was not sufficient to terminate violence for 18 percent of the sample because the spouses of these women reportedly were unwilling to accept rejection and appeared to become obsessed with the notion of punishing them. For all of those women who retaliated with violence (e.g., a kick in the groin, a threat with knife) there was one and only one counterattack, and battering ceased. A diagram, notes, and about 60 references are included. (Author summary modified)