Diagnosing wife assault.

With the prevalence of wife assault quite high, family doctors will see battered women and their families in the office. However, the identification of the problem is often missed due to women's reluctance to explain their problem and physicians' hesitancy in exploring the possibility and lack of awareness of the prevalence of abuse. The importance of the family doctor's role in identifying the problem and referring the family to appropriate community resources is discussed. Possible explanations for the physician's difficulty in making the diagnosis are considered.