ALL 58 SUBJECTS PROVIDED DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT THEMSELVES, AND THEIR SPOUSES, 46 COMPLETED A HOSTILITY-GUILT INVENTORY, AND 54 COMPLETED A PERSONALITY TEST. ANALYSIS OF THEIR RESPONSES INDICATES THAT PASSIVITY, NOT MASOCHISM, IS THE FACTOR UNDERLYING WOMEN'S ENDURANCE OF PHYSICAL ABUSE. MOST OF THE BATTERED WOMEN SHOWED NO SIGNS OF BEING UNUSUALLY SUBMISSIVE BUT DID TEND TO REPRESS ANGER, TO BE TIMID, TO BE EMOTIONALLY RESERVED, AND TO HAVE LOW COPING ABILITIES. SUCH FACTORS POINT TO PASSIVITY RATHER THAN A NEED FOR MALTREATMENT. THE FINDINGS ALSO SUGGEST THAT LACK OF EDUCATION AND STRICT RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING MAY CONTRIBUTE TO BATTERED WOMEN'S PASSIVE BEHAVIOR. HUSBANDS WERE MORE LIKELY THAN WIVES TO HAVE EXPERIENCED OR WITNESSED ABUSE IN THEIR FAMILIES AS CHILDREN. ALTHOUGH THE DIFFERENCE WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, VIOLENCE WAS MORE PREVALENT IN THE BACKGROUNDS OF NONBATTERED WOMEN THAN OF BATTERED WOMEN. SUCH FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT MARITAL VIOLENCE MAY BE MORE A FUNCTION OF THE MAN'S EARLY EXPERIENCES THAN OF THE WOMAN'S, AND THAT THERE MAY BE A CORRELATION BETWEEN WOMEN'S EARLY EXPERIENCE WITH VIOLENCE AND SELECTION OF A VIOLENT MATE. SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE SUBJECTS' RESPONSES REGARDING THEIR HUSBANDS INDICATE THE IMPACT OF EARLY FAMILY ENVIRONMENT ON SUBSEQUENT ADULT BEHAVIOR. IT APPEARS THAT PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THE VICTIMS OF WIFE BEATING ADDRESSES ONLY HALF THE PROBLEM. CRISIS INTERVENTION AND COUNSELING SERVICES FOR ABUSING MEN ARE ALSO NEEDED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)