Wife Abuse and the Wife Abuser

This article reviews the clinical, theoretical, and empirical literature on wife abuse and the wife abuser that suggests answers to the questions, Why does he do it? and What will stop him? The article begins with a discussion of relevant historical and contextual information. It provides an overview of the problem of domestic violence, presents prevalence data, and describes the evolution and current status of public and professional awareness and response. The review includes research studies and discursive papers that have viewed the wife abuser from sociopolitical as well as psychological perspectives. The author proposes an integrative model for understanding etiologic, dynamic, and intervention issues with this population. The article concludes with a discussion of clinical and research implications and recommendations.