Intergenerational Transmission of Marital Violence among Rural Migrants in China: Evidence from a Survey in Shenzhen

Abstract

Using data from a survey of rural migrants of P district in Shenzhen in 2013, this article explores marital violence among rural migrants. It investigates whether immigrants who witnessed interparental violence or experienced physical violence during childhood are more likely to be emotionally or physically violent in their own marriage. It also finds that the prevalence of mutual violence between rural migrant couples is significantly higher than unilateral violence, and emotional violence is the most common type of marital violence. Witnessing interparental violence in childhood increases the likelihood in adulthood of perpetrating both emotional and physical violence for females but only of emotional violence for males. There is a correlation between experience of physical abuse during childhood and perpetration of physical or emotional abuse during adulthood.