It is proposed that suicidality among battered women is evoked by the entrapment women experience when they are subjected to coercive control by abusive men. A literature review highlights the probable importance of male violence as a cause of female suicidality. The significance of battering was assessed in a sample of women who had attempted suicide. The characteristics of battered women who attempt suicide & the appropriateness of the medical response were also examined. Results indicate that battering may be the single most important cause of female suicidality, particularly among black & pregnant women. The implications of this finding for theory & clinical intervention are discussed. (63 refs.)