Why Do Men Batter Women?

SOME experts say that women are more likely to be killed by their male partners than by all other types of perpetrators combined. In an effort to stem the tide of spouse abuse, numerous studies have been conducted. What kind of man batters his wife? What was his childhood like? Was he violent during courtship? How does the batterer respond to treatment?

One thing experts have learned is that not all batterers are alike. At one end of the scale is a man whose violence is sporadic. He does not use a weapon and has no history of abusing his mate. For him, a violent episode is out of character and seems to be motivated by external factors. At the other extreme is a man who has developed a chronic pattern of battering. His abuse is ongoing, and there is little, if any, sign of remorse.

However, the fact that there are different kinds of batterers does not mean that some forms of battering aren’t serious. Indeed, any type of physical abuse can cause injury—even death. Hence, the fact that one man’s violence is less frequent or less intense than another’s does not make it excusable. There is simply no such thing as “acceptable” battering. What factors, though, might cause a man to abuse physically the woman he vowed to cherish for the rest of his life?

The Family Connection

Not surprisingly, a number of physically abusive men were themselves raised in abusive families. “Most batterers were brought up in domestic ‘war zones,’” writes Michael Groetsch, who has spent more than two decades researching spouse abuse. “As babies and young children, they grew up in hostile surroundings where emotional and physical violence were ‘normal.’” According to one expert, a male who is raised in such an environment “can absorb his father’s contempt for women very early in life. The boy learns that a man must always be in control of women and that the way to get that control is to scare them, hurt them, and demean them. At the same time, he learns that the  one sure way to get his father’s approval is to behave as his father does.”

The Bible makes clear that the conduct of a parent can have a significant impact on a child, either for good or for bad. (Proverbs 22:6; Colossians 3:21) Of course, the family environment does not excuse a man’s battering, but it may help to explain where the seeds of a violent temperament were sown.

Cultural Influence

In some lands beating a woman is considered acceptable, even normal. “The right of a husband to beat or physically intimidate his wife is a deeply held conviction in many societies,” states a United Nations report.

Even in lands where such abuse is not considered acceptable, many individuals adopt a violent code of conduct. The irrational thinking of some men in this regard is shocking. According to South Africa’s Weekly Mail and Guardian, a study in the Cape Peninsula found that the majority of men who claimed that they do not abuse their mates felt that hitting a woman was acceptable and that such conduct does not constitute violence.

Evidently, such a warped view often begins in childhood. In Britain, for example, one study showed that 75 percent of boys aged 11 and 12 feel that it is acceptable for a man to hit a woman if he is provoked.

No Excuse for Battering

The above factors may help to explain spouse abuse, but they do not excuse it. Put  simply, beating one’s mate is a gross sin in God’s eyes. In his Word, the Bible, we read: “Husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it, as the Christ also does the congregation.”—Ephesians 5:28, 29.

The Bible long ago foretold that during “the last days” of this system of things, many would be “abusive,” with “no natural affection,” and “fierce.” (2 Timothy 3:1-3; The New English Bible) The prevalence of spouse abuse is simply another indication that we are living in the very time period designated by this prophecy. But what can be done to support victims of physical abuse? Is there any hope that batterers can change their course of behavior?

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“A batterer who has assaulted his wife is no less a criminal than a man who has punched a stranger.”—When Men Batter Women

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Machismo—A Global Problem

Latin America has given the word “machismo” to the English-speaking world. It refers to aggressive masculine pride and implies an abusive attitude toward women. But machismo is by no means confined to Latin America, as the following reports indicate.

Egypt: A three-month study in Alexandria indicated that domestic violence is the principal cause of injuries to women. It is the cause of 27.9 percent of all visits by women to local trauma services.—Résumé 5 of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Thailand: In Bangkok’s largest suburb, 50 percent of married women are beaten regularly.—Pacific Institute for Women’s Health.

Hong Kong: “The number of women who say they have been beaten by their partners has soared by more than 40 per cent in the past year.”—South China Morning Post, July 21, 2000.

Japan: The number of women seeking shelter rose from 4,843 in 1995 to 6,340 in 1998. “About one-third said they were seeking shelter because of violent behavior by their husbands.”—The Japan Times, September 10, 2000.

Britain: “A rape, beating or stabbing occurs in a home somewhere across Britain every six seconds.” According to a Scotland Yard report, “police receive 1,300 calls from victims of domestic violence every day—more than 570,000 a year. Eighty-one per cent are female victims attacked by males.”—The Times, October 25, 2000.

Peru: Seventy percent of all crimes reported to police involve women beaten by their husbands.—Pacific Institute for Women’s Health.

Russia: “In one year, 14,500 Russian women were killed by their husbands, and a further 56,400 were disabled or badly injured in domestic attacks.”—The Guardian.

China: “It is a new problem. It’s rapidly increasing, especially in urban areas,” says Professor Chen Yiyun, director of the Jinglun Family Center. “Pressure from neighbours no longer checks domestic violence.”—The Guardian.

Nicaragua: “Violence against women in Nicaragua is soaring. One survey claimed that last year alone 52 per cent of Nicaraguan women suffered some form of domestic violence at the hands of their men.”—BBC News.

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Risk Indicators

According to a study directed by Richard J. Gelles at the University of Rhode Island, U.S.A., the following are risk indicators for physical and emotional abuse in the domestic setting:

1. The man has previous involvement with domestic violence.

2. He is out of work.

3. He uses illegal drugs at least once a year.

4. When he lived at home, he saw his father hit his mother.

5. The couple are not married; they cohabit.

6. If employed, he has a low-paying job.

7. He did not graduate from high school.

8. He is between 18 and 30 years of age.

9. One or both use violence toward children in the home.

10. Income is below the poverty level.

11. The man and woman are from different cultural backgrounds.

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Domestic violence can seriously affect children