estic abuse by examining the differing perceptions of men and women. By using data from an anonymous survey (which will attenuate some victims' fears of retaliation and some offenders' fears of prosecution), the resulting numbers of domestic abuse reports should be more accurate than police reports. The general research question of the study is whether there is different perception of domestic abuse frequency by males and females.
Just as the social problem of domestic abuse has only lately gained public notice, the scholarly study of domestic abuse is a recent development. Edleson & Tolman (1992) note that most historical reviews of the subject are sketchy, touching on some ancient Roman writings, a few examples from early Judeo-Christian writings, and primarily works from this century. However, they note that "it is clear from these reviews, that, for most of recorded Western history, women have been viewed as men's property at worst or as the subjects of their rule at best" (p. 18).
Contemporary studies of the topic fall into two general categories: investigations into the causes and implications of abuse, and assessments of various treatment or intervention program. In the first category, prevention programs and intervention strategies are the focus of research. Several different types of programs have been developed based on the developmental and causative models described above, and with increasing frequency the courts are sentencing batterers to such programs. Edleson and Tolman (1992) thoroughly review the many such studies that have been done over the past 15 years and describe the various approaches to treatment. Generally, programs are mandated by the courts, have strict rules on attendance, and vary in duration from 5 to 50 sessions (usually one or two sessions a week at two hours per session). This has provided researchers with both a large population of offenders and a wide variety of treatment approaches t...