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 leg
islation. 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, helpi
ng survivors, providing education, and requiring equal treatment. Each
of these aspects of the legislation is discussed.