Violence against women is one factor in the growing wave of alarm about violence in American society. High-profile cases such as the O.J. Simpson trial call attention to the thousands of lesser-known but no less tragic situations in which women's lives are shattered by beatings or sexual assault. The search for solutions has highlighted not only what we know about violence against women but also what we do not know. How can we achieve the best understanding of this problem and its complex ramifications? What research efforts will yield the greatest benefit? What are the questions that must be answered? "Understanding Violence Against Women" presents a comprehensive overview of current knowledge and identifies four areas with the greatest potential return from a research investment by increasing the understanding of and responding to domestic violence and rape: what interventions are designed to do, whom they are reaching, and how to reach the many victims who do not seek help; factors that put people at risk of violence and that precipitate violence, including characteristics of offenders; the scope of domestic violence and sexual assault in America and its consequences to individuals, families, and society, including costs; how to structure the study of violence against women to yield more useful knowledge. Despite the news coverage and talk shows, the real fundamental nature of violence against women remains unexplored and often misunderstood. "Understanding Violence Against Women" provides direction for increasing knowledge that can help ameliorate this national problem.