Instead of presenting women experiencing violent relationships as "victims" of battering, this chapter reviews their help'Seeking efforts and the obstacles they confront in their efforts to protect themselves and their children. This refraining of how we understand the nature of this problem is essential to a strengths-based approach. The authors discuss obstacles to leaving violent relationships that are embedded, for example, in inadequate resources, police attitudes in responding to domestic violence, and policies that create particular risks for immigrant women. They suggest policies that capitalize on women's strengths as active help seekers and focus on identifying and correcting system-level obstacles to create safe and effective exits for women who experience domestic violence. * * Debate surrounds the nature and scope of violence in families, how to prevent it, and when to intervene. One enduring point of agreement, however, is that violence in families is a multidimensional problem that exacts a tremendous toll on society. Although families can provide warm, wonderful, 97