Data from the first year's operation (August 1, 1977 - July 31, 1978) of the Vernon Transition House, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada indicate that wife battering is a serious problem. Wife battering is not related to age or cultural background, but spans all ages, cultures, and income levels. Use and abuse of alcohol play major roles in family violence as methods of dealing with stress or as excuses to strike a spouse. A significant number of men who beat their wives were raised in violent families where the father beat the mother and they, themselves, were abused. Additionally, occupational status was a significant factor, i.e., 68% of the women were totally dependent on their spouses for financial support, and many battered women returned to their husbands because of fear and self-image issues. Although this program is geographically-specific, it addresses a problem of current social concern from a Canadian vantage point. (Author/HLM)