Social Workers' Intervention in Woman Abuse: 1907-1945

This article examines social workers' intervention in woman abuse in the earlier part of this century. A systematic random sample of 586 case records dating from 1907 to 1945 was drawn from a larger collection of approximately 35,000 cases. The 98 cases in which evidence of woman abuse was found were further analyzed. The results indicate that, contrary to common assumptions, social workers in the early part of this century frequently recorded detailed accounts of woman abuse and frequently engaged a range of criminal justice professionals in efforts to aid battered women.