Continuity and change: Violations of private patriarchal practices and domestic violence against rural wives in China

Abstract

We investigated how violations of private patriarchal practices affect physical, psychological, and sexual violence against rural wives. The sample was drawn from nationally representative data from the third wave survey on the Social Status of Women in China. We found that (1) women making a similar income or more than their husbands were more likely to experience psychological and physical violence, respectively; (2) the wife’s migration experience increased her risk of psychological and sexual violence; (3) husband doing more housework decreased the odds of psychological violence, and equal distribution of housework reduced the likelihood of physical and psychological violence; (4) infertility or having given birth to only daughters was not associated with any form of violence; and (5) equal marital power decreased the wife’s likelihood to suffer three forms of violence. A balanced conjugal power structure may effectively prevent domestic violence against wives in societies with traditional and modern influences.