A study examined the effect of extreme marital discord, involving abuse of the mother, on maternal parenting style and level of maternal stress. It was hypothesized that battered women experience a higher level of maternal stress and choose an authoritarian parenting style as a consequence of marital discord. Subjects were 30 mothers of children aged 3 months through 10 years. Fifteen mothers were in discordant marital relationships and were in a shelter for battered women. A comparison group of 15 mothers in nondiscordant relationships also participated. Average age of the subjects was 30. Subjects completed the Parenting Stress Index and participated in interviews to determine parenting style. Results indicated a statistically significant difference between groups in the mean total stress scores. With respect to parenting styles, no significant differences were found between the two groups in any of the parenting styles. Therefore, at least with this sample of maritally discordant mothers, the marital relationships may not have had an impact on their parenting style. Twelve of the maritally discordant mothers exhibited a preference for the authoritative parenting style, while 13 of the nondiscordant mothers preferred this style. The results suggest that experiencing marital violence has a significant effect on the level of maternal stress but not a significant effect on maternal parenting style. (Three appendixes contain copies of the Parental Stress Index, the parenting style interview, and interview response sheet.) (HTH)