NCJ Number
134889
Journal
Koelner Zeitschrift fuer Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Dated: (1990) Pages: 474-501
Date Published
1990
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This statistical analysis surveyed 652 Canadian women and 471 men concerning the use of violence in their marriage.
Abstract
The representative sample population indicated on a questionnaire whether they had resorted to violent behavior against their spouse (threats of violence, pushing, slapping, beating, or using a weapon) within the past year of their marriage. The results indicated that 17.8 percent of the men and 23.3 percent of the women admitted to having used at least one form of violence. Violence occurred most often in the early stages of marriage among younger partners; it was not limited to specific levels of education or income though it occurred more frequently in poor families. Stress situations such as unemployment or financial problems were often named as contributing factors to violence. Surprisingly, couples who attempted to resolve their conflicts verbally also frequently used violence as a last resort. In view of these data society must realize that the dialectic of marriage encompasses both loving, helping behavior and brutalizing, and dangerous behavior. The article includes statistical charts and a bibliography.