Physical Abuse in Marriage: 20 Causative Factors
Physical abuse in marriage is the act of inflicting pain on a partner in order to assert control over him/her. More cases of physical abuse in marriage involve the male partner as the aggressor than the female.
Every year in the US, 2 to 4 million women are assaulted by male partners as against 800,000 cases of domestic violence perpetrated by women against men while 2,000 women are murdered by their current or former male partners in the US. The following are some of the underlying causes:
5. Husbands who abuse alcohol or drugs. Such men drink or use drugs and thereafter lose their self control and become violent.
6. Wrong Gender Role Beliefs. Husbands with distorted view of their role as heads in the home use their position to demand unquestioning obedience from their wives or else they use violence to beat them in to submission.
7. Failure or Unhappiness at place of work. A husband who is a failure or is miserable at the place of work comes home with pent up anger and takes it out on the wife and children.
10. When a partner is idle. An unemployed or underemployed husband reads meaning to every action of the wife, feels threatened and resorts to violence to control his wife.
11. Cultural Background A husband who comes from a culture where the wife is treated as a property and where wife abuse is an entrenched practice would have no inhibitions in being violent against his wife.
12. Faulty Religious Beliefs A wife who has a misunderstanding of what it is to submit to her husband, accepts physical abuse thereby reinforcing the husband's antisocial and violent behavior. A husband who goes to a church where the rights of women are ignored would not have any inhibitions about using fist cuffs to settle marital disputes.
13. Absence of Law against Battery Husbands living in a country where there are no laws against battery take liberty for license and behave violently toward their wives.
14. Low Socioeconomic Status of Woman A husband married to a woman of poor social standing feels he would not be called to question if he behaves violently towards his wife.
15. Urban Residence Studies have found the incidence of physical abuse is higher among couples living in urban settings. This might be related to the higher stress of living in such places with men developing volatile temper as a consequence.
16. Young age at time of Marriage Men who marry early in life especially if pregnancy out of wedlock compelled them to marry may be prone to wife abuse.
17. Great number of children The stress level in such families is high because of the demands of the children and this could lead to physical abuse during quarrels.
18. Unmet expectations When a man has a hidden reason for marrying a woman, for instance, if he is expecting some financial assistance from the in-laws and this is not forthcoming, he can resort to violence during minor misunderstandings.
19. Denial of conjugal rights When a woman deprives the husband of his conjugal rights because of his inability to fend for his family, he tries to use force to get his way.
20. Disrespect towards a husband A woman who taunts and disrespects the husband or compares him with more successful men could be at a risk of violence being used against her during arguments.
Every year in the US, 2 to 4 million women are assaulted by male partners as against 800,000 cases of domestic violence perpetrated by women against men while 2,000 women are murdered by their current or former male partners in the US. The following are some of the underlying causes:
- Lack of Church attendance. Religion especially Judeo-Christian faith has a way of tempering man's aggressive nature and making him see his wife as a God-given complement to his person. A husband who does not believe in the word of God will not subscribe to this biblical teaching. Such a man does not accept the Christian teaching in Ephesians 5:25 which says Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it and Eph. 5: 33 Nevertheless, let each of you so love his own wife as himself. He acts with impunity without recourse to God because he believes might is right since he does not have the fear of God in him
- Poor Spousal Communication. Communication is the lubricant that oils the machinery of marriage; when it is poorly developed; partners get physical over minor issues.
- Victim of Child Abuse A husband who was a victim of child abuse has pent up anger and feelings of inferiority which he will release on his partner after marriage unless he has dealt with the issue before marriage.
- Witnessed Father Beat up Mother A husband who witnessed his dad beat up his mum would think it is normal to act that way when there is disagreement.
5. Husbands who abuse alcohol or drugs. Such men drink or use drugs and thereafter lose their self control and become violent.
6. Wrong Gender Role Beliefs. Husbands with distorted view of their role as heads in the home use their position to demand unquestioning obedience from their wives or else they use violence to beat them in to submission.
7. Failure or Unhappiness at place of work. A husband who is a failure or is miserable at the place of work comes home with pent up anger and takes it out on the wife and children.
- Poor Social Skills. Husbands with low self esteem and inferiority complex who have exaggerated need to dominate their wives to show that they are in charge at home resort to spousal physical abuse during disagreements. Such men find it difficult to be intimate with their wife.
- Aggressive and Perfectionist Personality A husband with aggressive personality and poor anger management skills often gives in to violent outburst of anger which is out of proportion to any offense committed. Husbands with perfectionist and difficult-to-please nature often find reasons to fight with their wives.
10. When a partner is idle. An unemployed or underemployed husband reads meaning to every action of the wife, feels threatened and resorts to violence to control his wife.
11. Cultural Background A husband who comes from a culture where the wife is treated as a property and where wife abuse is an entrenched practice would have no inhibitions in being violent against his wife.
12. Faulty Religious Beliefs A wife who has a misunderstanding of what it is to submit to her husband, accepts physical abuse thereby reinforcing the husband's antisocial and violent behavior. A husband who goes to a church where the rights of women are ignored would not have any inhibitions about using fist cuffs to settle marital disputes.
13. Absence of Law against Battery Husbands living in a country where there are no laws against battery take liberty for license and behave violently toward their wives.
14. Low Socioeconomic Status of Woman A husband married to a woman of poor social standing feels he would not be called to question if he behaves violently towards his wife.
15. Urban Residence Studies have found the incidence of physical abuse is higher among couples living in urban settings. This might be related to the higher stress of living in such places with men developing volatile temper as a consequence.
16. Young age at time of Marriage Men who marry early in life especially if pregnancy out of wedlock compelled them to marry may be prone to wife abuse.
17. Great number of children The stress level in such families is high because of the demands of the children and this could lead to physical abuse during quarrels.
18. Unmet expectations When a man has a hidden reason for marrying a woman, for instance, if he is expecting some financial assistance from the in-laws and this is not forthcoming, he can resort to violence during minor misunderstandings.
19. Denial of conjugal rights When a woman deprives the husband of his conjugal rights because of his inability to fend for his family, he tries to use force to get his way.
20. Disrespect towards a husband A woman who taunts and disrespects the husband or compares him with more successful men could be at a risk of violence being used against her during arguments.
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