BEIJING: Nearly one out of 10 families in Shanghai has witnessed domestic violence, though men in the gleaming eastern Chinese metropolis have a reputation for being henpecked, a survey has found.
The survey, conducted by a website showed that seven per cent of the 4,500 interviewed said they were victims of domestic violence. In addition, another nine per cent said violence “seemed to” have happened, but they are not sure whether it was serious enough to be called “domestic violence.”
Of those asked if they had experienced a “cold war,” a term referring to a couple lacking communication and frequently criticising each other’s shortcomings or weaknesses, nine per cent of interviewees said they had. The results were reiterated by the fact that 560 calls were made to a hotline against domestic violence set up by the Shanghai Women’s Federation this year, China Daily reported.
The survey, revealed during the International Day to Eradicate Violence against Women on Saturday, also said irreconcilable differences, extra-marital affairs and the attacker’s psychological problems are the major causes of domestic violence.
The results were particularly potent in Shanghai, where men have a reputation for being sensitive and non-violent compared to men in other parts of China, the paper noted.
The 49 per cent of those surveyed hold the opinion that the attackers were mostly men, who are often serious male chauvinists, or have habits such as alcoholism or gambling.
