The Criminalization of Domestic Violence: Promises and Limits presents a review of the promises and limitations of the criminalization efforts in domestic violence. The reforms of the past 20 years have not been adequately evaluated with respect to their deterrence goals, despite the institutionalization of law and policy to criminalize domestic violence. This report begins with a brief history of the development of modern legal reforms in domestic violence and examines their theoretical underpinnings. Next, it reviews the empirical evidence on the deterrent effects of criminal and civil legal sanctions for domestic violence. Then, the unique contexts of domestic violence are examined to identify factors that influence the deterrent effects of criminal justice reforms. The paper concludes with an agenda for building an empirical base for knowledge and policy to control domestic violence.