NCJ Number
207068
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 189-201
Date Published
April 2004
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined a variety of risk factors for wife assault in Hong Kong Chinese society.
Abstract
According to statistics from the Census and Statistics Department of the Government of Hong Kong, spousal assault is on the rise in this country, increasing 3 fold in 5 years from 1,009 reported cases of spousal assault in 1998 to 3,034 in 2002. A full 92 percent of the victims were women and 97.8 percent of the perpetrators were husbands. Despite the prevalence of wife assault, there has been limited study related to risk factors for wife assault in Hong Kong. The current study examined the following variables as possible risk factors for wife assault among a sample of battered women in Hong Kong: dominance, spousal conflict, aggressive personality, sense of insecurity, gender role stress, violent socialization, lack of empathy, stress, poor anger management, and relationship stress. Participants were 107 battered women living in a refuge for battered women who completed the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales and the Personal and Relationship Profile. Results of correlation analysis indicate that dominance, spousal conflict, and sense of insecurity are risk factors for minor physical assault and psychological aggression, while aggressive personality is a risk factor for severe physical assault and injury. The relationships among these variables are considered from the perspective of Chinese culture, where women do not occupy a powerful position and must obey their fathers, husbands, and sons. The current study was limited by the type and size of its sample. Future research should take into consideration the perspective of male batterers. Tables, references