Review of Empirical Literature on the Prevalence and Risk Markers of Male-on-Female Intimate Partner Violence in Contemporary China, 1987-2006

• NCJ Number: 221885
• Journal: Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: January-February 2008 Pages: 10-28
• Author(s): Catherine So-Kum Tang; Beatrice Pui-Yee Lai
• Date Published: January 2008
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article reviews empirical literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) in China within the past 20 years to understand the magnitude and nature of the problem.

Abstract

Review of the studies found that between 1987 and 2006, 19.7 percent of women in China had experienced violence as perpetrated by their male intimate partners at some point of time, and prevalence of past year violence was 16.8 percent. Among various types of IPV, psychological violence was the most common, followed by physical and sexual violence. The prevalence of IPV during pregnancy was 5.7 percent for any type of IPV, 5.1 percent of psychological violence, 3.4 percent for sexual violence, and 1.6 percent for physical violence. The studies were also coded as to location of respondents, study design, and assessment instruments. The review found that lifetime prevalence of physical and sexual violence was higher among respondents in rural areas than in urban areas, but the reverse was found for psychological violence. In addition, studies conducted in healthcare settings generated higher lifetime prevalence of any type of IPV and sexual violence, but lower lifetime prevalence of psychological violence, as compared to population-based studies. A review of risk markers of male-on-female IPV in China is also presented. It was found that women in China were at increased risk of IPV when they or their partners were of low education and socioeconomic status, grew up in rural areas, and exhibited problem behaviors. The present review was drawn from 19 studies with a total of 49,201 respondents that covered roughly 20 years of empirical research on IPV in contemporary China. The respondents included 44,818 women, 4,001 men, and 136 male and 246 female college students. All studies were based on women’s self-report on violence as perpetrated by their male partners. Limitations of IPV research in China and implications for future research are discussed. Tables, references