NORMATIVE AND BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF VIOLENCE BETWEEN SPOUSES - PRELIMINARY DATA ON A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE USA (UNITED STATE OF AMERICA) SAMPLE

• NCJ Number: 60104
• Author(s): M A STRAUS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 27 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH27557; MH13050
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Corporate Author: Simon Fraser University
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER READ AT THE SYMPOSIUM ON VIOLENCE IN CANADIAN SOCIETY, MARCH 12, 1977

Annotation

THE INCIDENCE, MODES, AND PATTERNS OF VIOLENCE BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES IN A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 2,143 COUPLES ARE DESCRIBED.

Abstract

APPROXIMATELY 28 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE REPORTED AT LEAST 1 INSTANCE IN WHICH PHYSICAL VIOLENCE HAD OCCURRED. EIGHT TYPES OF VIOLENT ACTS WERE SAMPLED, FROM PUNCHING TO USING A KNIFE OR GUN. ONE OF EVERY 100 HUSBANDS AND WIVES HAD EXPERIENCED A BEATING OR BEEN BEATEN UP BY A SPOUSE IN THE LAST YEAR. FIVE PERCENT HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN SUCH A BEATING AT SOME POINT IN THE MARRIAGE AND ALMOST FOUR PERCENT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT WHERE A KNIFE OR GUN HAD BEEN USED. THE PAPER EXAMINES SEX DIFFERENCES AND SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES IN VIOLENCE RATES. RESEARCH FINDINGS SHOWED RELATIVELY SMALL SEX DIFFERENCES. SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES WERE EVEN SMALLER. THE STUDY DID SHOW, HOWEVER, THAT VIOLENCE BETWEEN SPOUSES IS FREQUENT IN BOTH BLUE COLLAR AND WHITE COLLAR HUSBAND GROUPS WITH SEVERITY EVEN GREATER IN THE BLUE COLLAR GROUP. IT ALSO SHOWED THAT CLASS DIFFERENCES IN ACTUAL RATES OF VIOLENCE PRIMARILY REFLECT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOWER CLASS LIFE RATHER THAN A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT ATTITUDIAL FACTORS PLAY ONLY A RELATIVELY SMALL PART IN ACCOUNTING FOR VARIATION IN ACTUAL RATES OF FAMILY VIOLENCE. FOOTNOTES ARE APPENDED. (MJW)