NCJ Number
98422
Date Published
1985
Length
73 pages
Annotation
This study of a women's shelter in Great Britain between 1976 and 1980 presents information and conclusions based on 2 sets of interviews with 42 women shelter residents who were abused by their husbands.
Abstract
The nature of marital violence is attributed to inequitable allocation of household money, alcohol abuse, inadequate housing, and unemployment. Control of money gives husbands a sense of being the dominant partner and marital violence may be viewed as a by-product of this structured inequality between partners. Unemployment of the husband is a factor leading to stress and tension, and may be manifest in spousal violence. Inadequate housing and other situations which could result in a husband having a poor self-image may cause similar emotional upsets resulting in violence. Children's relationships with their father is cited as one reason for a mother deciding to leave or endure the abuse. The women's refuge plays a transitional role whether the inhabitants are divorcing, attempting reconciliation, or considering alternatives. A second interview was conducted 2 years after the first, long after the respondents had left the refuge. They describe their current lifestyles and discuss the help available from police, social service agencies, and mental health professionals. Another topic of interest is the limitation on available sources of income: employment, government support, or spousal support.