A question that interests many is why a woman will remain with a husband who abuses her. Interviews with violent families revealed that the decision is related to three major factore. First, the more severe and more frequent the violence, the more a woman is likely to end her marriage or to seek help from social agencies or the police. The second factor has to do with how much violence she experienced as a child. The more she was struck by her own parents, the more inclined she is to stay with an abusive husband. Third, wives who have not completed high school and those who are unemployed are less likely to leave their husbands. It appears that the fewer resources a woman has, the fewer alternatives she sees and the more trapped in her marriage she feels.