Women and children are often in great danger in the place where they should be safest within their families. For many, home is where they face a regime of terror and violence at the hands of somebody close to them somebody they should be able to trust. Domestic violence is a health, legal, economic, educational, developmental and, above all, a human rights issue. This digest looks specifically at domestic violence, and the term "domestic" includes violence by an intimate partner and by other family members, wherever this violence takes place and in whatever form. The digest builds on the research carried out by the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre for an earlier digest on "Children and Violence." It looks at the magnitude and universality of domestic violence, and its impact on the rights of women and children. Noting that women worldwide continue to suffer violence with estimates varying from 20% to 50% from country to country, the digest contends that this toll will not be eased until families, governments, institutions, and civil society organizations address the issue directly. Information on regional and international nongovermental organizations (NGOs) working in this area, and suggestions for further reading are provided. The digest is divided into the following sections: "Overview'; "Scope of the Problem"; "Magnitude of the Problem"; "Causes of Domestic Violence"; "Consequences"; "Calculating the Socio-Economic Costs of Violence"; "Strategies and Interventions"; "An Integrated Approach"; "Links"; and "References" (71). Includes 25 selected key readings and the article "Combating Domestic Violence: Obligations of the State" (Radhika Coormaraswamy). (BT)