VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN - THE CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE

America as a nation has for too long failed to grasp either the scope or the seriousness of violence against women. In this article, Senator Biden describes his attempt to address this issue through federal legislation. The Violence Against Women Act, first introduced in 1990 and reported favorably out of committee in May of 1993, takes aim at the problem from four different perspectives: rectifying imbalances, helping survivors, providing education, and requiring equal treatment. Each of these aspects of the legislation is discussed.