Cathy Costantino, MSW, was, at the time of writing, Social Worker, Domestic Violence Unit, Community Services, San Jose, California, and is now studying law at Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley. Intervention with women as preserver of the family unit by is currently recognized as being within advocating reconciliation or marital the jurisdiction of both the social work counseling. Martin asserted that coun and legal professions. Neither disciseling tends to be steeped in sex pline, however, has effectively met the role stereotyping, with rehabilitation of needs of these clients. It is the premise the family or reconciliation as its pri of this author that a multitude of factors mary goal.3 has contributed to the ineffectiveness 2. Fear and lack of training in deal of the services that social workers and ing with violent situations. Coser con attorneys render to women, tended the more intimate the ties are This article explores such reasons among members of a group, the higher from the perspectives of the two prothe average level of conflict will be.4 fessions. Then, utilizing social work Thus, given that the family system is and legal services as a model, the auone of the most intimate social groups, thor proposes a paradigm for a comit follows that potential for violent con prehensive multidisciplinary approach flict among members is increased, to effective intervention with Because they have been trained to women. The term battered intervene primarily with nonviolent will be used to refer to any woman who families, most social workers tend to has been beaten or physically harassed deny the reality of domestic violence by a spouse, cohabitant, or boyfriend, directed against women. This is some The parties need not be married or livwhat paradoxical given the tradition of ing together. social work intervention with abused children. The issue of a woman being