Although much is being written about the sociological aspects of the battering syndrome, little has been done to investigate the personality characteristics of battered women. To investigate the personality characteristics which relate to the life styles of battered women, 60 women (30 battered women, 30 non-battered women), ranging in age from 19 to 56, were interviewed using Kern's Life Style Scale. The scale classifies life styles into five categories: controller, perfectionist, need to please, victim, and martyr. An analysis of the results showed that the life style typologies of battered women were significantly different from those of women who have never been battered. Women who scored high in the category of need to please lent themselves as targets to battering situations. Women who scored high in the category of controller were not as likely to be victims of abuse. (The Life Style Scale is appended). (BL)