One of the issues that arose in the early years of the second wave women’s movement was how to protect women and children from domestic violence. This issue was later generalized to the broader issue of violence against women. The initial focus on battered women in domestic relationships came onto the nation’s policy agenda from local women’s groups and social welfare organizations that were involved in setting up hot lines and shelters for abused women. More recently the issue of sexual violence against women has become a significant public policy issue. Women in the military and Native American women are two vulnerable populations that have received recent public attention.