Professional and public interest in reform legislation, advocacy efforts, and services developed on behalf of battered women and their children has grown significantly over the past decade. Each year, thousands of battered women in acute crisis situations seek help from battered women's shelters, hospital emergency rooms, police departments, courts, and community mental health centers. Recognizing the level of interest in problems faced by battered women, the book presents major policy reforms and recent program developments. Major criminal justice and social work issues are examined from both macropolicy and microclinical perspectives, with book chapters written by prominent social workers, clinical psychologists, policy analysts, and criminal justice educators. Book contributors have extensive experience in working with women who live in violent relationships, and each chapter documents efforts made to develop policies, programs, and services to meet the needs of battered women. The first part of the book explores the most recent policy issues, empirical research, social change efforts, and case management strategies. Common myths about battered women are explained, services provided by battered women's organizations throughout the United States are noted, research involving incarcerated women who killed their abusive partners is reported, criminal justice and case management strategies recently implemented in New York City on behalf of abused senior citizens are described, and causes of domestic violence are discussed. The second part of the book provides detailed information on police responses to abused women in the 1990's, civil and criminal remedies magistrates can order on behalf of battered women, changing legal remedies, recognition of woman battering as a crime, expert testimony, and the battered woman syndrome. The third part of the book contains chapters on crisis-oriented responses to battered women, mental health assessments and interventions, services for battered women and their children, and the false connection between alcoholism and domestic violence. The focus of the book is on the most effective policies and programs currently available to eliminate battering by spouses and cohabitating partners. References and tables