NCJ Number
161743
Journal
Journal of Marriage and the Family Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1995) Pages: 283-294
Date Published
1995
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Using data from surveys and women's shelters, this article argues that two distinct forms of spouse abuse take place in the United States and other Western countries.
Abstract
A review of data from large-sample survey research and from qualitative and quantitative data gathered from women's shelters suggests that some families experience occasional outbursts of violence from either husbands or wives, while other families are terrorized by systematic violence committed by the male. The first form of violence is common couple violence, while the second form is patriarchal terrorism. The central distinction between the two forms of violence is motivation. The distinction between these two forms of domestic assault is important, because it has implications for the implementation of public policy, the development of educational programs and intervention strategies, and the development of theories of interpersonal violence. Recognizing the existence of distinctions will maximize effectiveness in progressing toward the goal of eliminating domestic violence. Figure and 43 references (Author abstract modified)