Wife Victimization in East and Central Africa (From International Perspectives on Family Violence, P 139-145, 1983, Richard J Gelles and Claire P Cornell, ed. - See NCJ-93704)

• NCJ Number: 93708
• Author(s): T M Mushanga
• Date Published: 1983
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Lexington Books
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Reprinted from Victimology, V 2, N 3/4 (1977-78), P 479-485

Annotation

Data on seven ethnic groups in Uganda and three in Kenya gathered over varying times during the past 40 years indicate that in African societies where abuse is not positively sanctioned, wife victimization rates tend to be lower than in societies where violence against wives is positively sanctioned.

Abstract

The wife is the most victimized person within the family in all the groups studied except the Abakiga people. In fact, the wife stands a much greater risk of being killed than any other family member. Men victimize their wives for motives ranging from sexual infidelity, financial disputes, and chronic drunkenness, to suspicion of witchcraft. Violent homicides involving relatives tend to be culmination of a series of episodes, rather than an abrupt eruption of violence. Moreover, the earlier in the relationship that family disputes begin, the more likely they are to lead to domestic disasters. In fact, disputes that start soon after marriage lead to either divorce, separation, or frequent fights, sometimes resulting in the death of either spouse or other family members. In communities that are generally traditional, 'women's liberation' may create situations in which the wife may directly or indirectly bring about her own death. In such a group, a woman's attempt to assert her own rights may tragically conflict with cultural norms. Tabular data and 11 references are provided.