Although confrontation between spouses may not always involve physical conflict, psychological violence can be equally as scarring, according to a survey report on domestic violence against women in Zhejiang, Hunan and Gansu provinces.

The report, which conducted 3,543 questionnaires, indicates that when confrontations occur, 65 percent of husbands ignore their wives, 20 percent slammed doors or throw things, 28 percent call their wives' names and 20 percent threaten to beat their wives. According to descriptions given by wives, 12.1 percent say their husbands kick them, 9.7 percent say their husbands throw things, 5.8 percent say they are forced to have sex and 1.7 percent are burnt or scalded with boiling water.

Researchers divided domestic violence into three categories. Psychological violence occurs most often, physical violence takes second place and sexual violence accounts for the third category of domestic violence. However, more than 50 percent interviewees did not regard psychological abuse, such as limiting a wife’s and daughter’s social activities with their friends, refusing to talk to their wives for a long period, not having sex with their wives and making fun of their wives’ shortcoming and weakness, as domestic violence. Psychological violence has become a central focus for the forum.

The forum was held to commemorate the third anniversary of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, with 150 participants from USA, Britain, Canada, Denmark and China. Issues covering the formation and evolution of domestic violence were analyzed, legal and administrative intervention was also discussed, as well as the Domestic Violence Prevention Law, which aims to define the concept and suggest social support, administrative measures, legal protection and responsibility.

The suggestion aims to tackle the problem by setting up a new law to provide effective protection to victims, prevent further violence and guarantee preventative measures from related organizations, said Chen Mingxia, a senior research fellow with Law Study Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The research project on ways to fight domestic violence against women launched by the China Law Society has attracted volunteers from public security departments, procuratorial departments, people's courts, universities, research institutes, women's federation, and NGOs in 18 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Fifteen branch projects are under way to assist with surveys, legal investigations, individual cases, take case records, media coverage, legal aid, and Internet information exchanges.

(China.org.cn translated by Li Liangdu, November 27, 2002)