Abstract
Studies on wife abuse show that men committed violence behavior against their wives have experienced a high degree of violence in their childhood. Children who have witnessed, their mothers being beaten in their adulthood; girls have tendency to tolerate the violence and boys perceive the abuse of wife as their right.
The aim of the present article to study wife abuse and contributing factors in Iran. Data gathered through a random sample of 180 women in two groups: (1) women who were beaten by their spouse and after complaint were referred to legal medicine and (2) women who were referred to the physician for other reasons.
Two groups were compared on the age, job, education, and prior marriage. On these variables there was no significant difference between the two groups. But in variables concerning men’s childhood, number of wives and criminal acts, two groups were significantly different.
The most important factor affecting wife abuse is cultural. Men who in their socialization process have seen their mother is beaten in the family, or those who have more than one wife or/ and drug addicts have a higher tendency to violence against women.
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