The Conflict Tactics Scale questionnaire on marital violence was administered to 29 alcoholics and their wives at entry to, and 1 year after, completing a behavioral marital therapy (BMT) treatment program. In the year prior to BMT, prevalence rates of any violent act, of minor to moderate violent acts, and of severe violent acts were five to six times greater than 1985 national sample rates for both alcoholics and their wives. In the year after BMT, when the alcoholics' drinking and the couples' level of marital adjustment had improved significantly, husband-to-wife overall and moderate violence, although decreased significantly in prevalence and frequency, remained significantly elevated relative to national norms. Husbands' severe violence, however, did not decrease significantly and the prevalence rate, although reduced by one-half, was still significantly elevated relative to national norms. Wife-to-husband violence after BMT was significantly decreased in prevalence or frequency and no longer significantly elevated relative to national norms for indices of overall, moderate, and severe violence, except for the specific act of threatening with a knife or gun, the prevalence of which did not change after BMT, but remained significantly higher than national norms. (Author/NB)