Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the various kinds and frequency of violence and the socio-demographic properties of a group of women who have been subjected to physical violence.

Material and method: A face to face questionnaire was applied to 44 women who have been subjected to physical violence by their husbands and have been sent to Directorate of Forensic Medicine Department for taking final report in Elazığ center in year 2002.

Results: 65.9% of the women subject to violence were at age of 25-45. The education level of 77.3% women subject to violence and 63.6% of the husbands practising violence were graduate of primary education and below. 54.5% of the women were experiencing violence at least 1-2 times a week. Besides physical violence 84.4% were subject to verbal, 31.8% to sexual violence. 52.3% of the women have stated that their husbands use alcohol. There was no significant relation between the alcoholic condition of the men and their sexual violence applied to the women. Despite the violence they experienced 27.3% of the women said that they would continue their marriage because of their children and 13.6% because of economical reasons because they have no social security. Again 34.1% think about leaving their husbands. 93.2% of the women have received habitual occupation the period of inability reports for a period of 10 days or less and 6.8% for 11-20 days.

Conclusion: Physical violence is accompanied mostly by verbal and sexual violence. However, the women continue their marriages despite the violence they experience because of their children or because of economical reasons having no social security.