Abstract

Abstract

This book examines how a sample of couples in the region of South-central China used/experienced psychological domestic violence in the home.The research questions focus on verbal and non-verbal behaviours by wives and husbands and also on impacts caused by these behaviours.Through qualitative and quantitative approaches and using a gender perspective,the book explores how these behaviours may occur between Chinese couples and how these behaviours impact on them.

The literature review on domestic violence in the UK and China demonstrated that there are similarities and differences in researching domestic violence between the UK and China,e.g.in definitions of domestic violence and in research style.These differences may be caused by the different social systems and cultures,and by the different development of research on domestic violence between the two countries.The literature review also looked at marriage and family,gender inequality and communication,which were seen as key issues in my exploration.With regard to methodology,qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in this research and the specific research instruments were questionnaires and in-depth interviews.

Through in-depth interviews (53 interviewees) and a questionnaire survey (232 respondents),evidence was produced that showed some of the forms of psychological violence occurring between Chinese wives and husbands in the sample:how they used/ experienced this violence,what impacts they suffered,and whether there were differences in using and experiencing verbal/non-verbal behaviour between wives and husbands with different educational backgrounds.

The book found significant gender differences in the use/experience of psychological violence by Chinese couples.For example,the survey data suggested that wives were more likely to ridicule their husbands in the home,whereas husbands were more likely to use dirty language to abuse their wives in conflict.The interview data suggested that wives were more likely to be affected by such violence and to get bodily and mental health problems.It was concluded that the use/experiences of psychological domestic violence between wives and husbands is linked in various ways to gender inequality,and also that both intellectual and nonintellectual respondents used psychological violence quite similarly in the home.