Understanding the family interaction in women’s using violence in intimate relationship from the voice of Chinese women

Women’s use of violence in intimate relationships is found to be different from that of men's. Fewer studies have been conducted to study women's use of violence and our understanding of women’s use of violence is relatively limited. Chinese women’s use of violence in intimate relationships is found to be related to the traditional Chinese patriarchy and filial values. This paper aims to explore the experience of Chinese women’s use of violence in intimate heterosexual relationships to understand the interactions between the women, their male partners, and other family members, including the motive and outcome of using violence, and the influence from the Chinese cultural family and gender values.
A qualitative study was conducted to explore women’s use of violence from a narrative report of the women who use violence in intimate heterosexual relationships. The interviewees were identified and referred from the programs for perpetrators of different agencies in Hong Kong, China. A total of 20 Chinese women (ages 29 to 62) were recruited and interviewed. All interviews were tape-recorded upon interviewees’ written consents. Grounded theory was used to analyze the interaction between the women and their male partners in view of the women’s use of violence. The findings reflect the dynamics between the women, their partners, and parents-in-law contribute to the women’s use of violence toward their male partners. The motives of women using violence are not limited to self-defense or self- protection, but also her hostility toward related third-parties and the women’s tense relationships with their partners and in-laws. Despite living in modern societies, these family interactions still echo traditional Chinese values of gender role expectation and family norms. It is important to understand such findings and subsequently develop effective interventions to support these women and their families.