Domestic Violence against Married Women in Cambodia

Yount, Katherine.M and Jennifer S. Carerra. 2006. “Domestic Violence against Married Women in Cambodia.” Social Forces 85(1):355-387

In this article, the authors seek to analyze the effects of resources and early life experiences on the prevalence of and attitudes regarding domestic violence among 2,074 married women in Cambodia. This article looks at four major theories to explain domestic violence.

One, resource theory where violence is one another resource for men. When they lack other material resources, they use violence to demonstrate their power. The author cites several studies that state that domestic violence is more prevalent in low income households.

Second, scholars have emphasized the importance of including women’s dependence on men for increasing prevalence of domestic violence and women’s tolerance of abuse. Some other studies show that status inconsistencies is correlated with increased domestic violence i.e. men inflicting violence on women when they have higher incomes than the men.

Thirdly, scholars have also studied women’s family organizations to explain how that affects the presence of domestic violence. Whether the woman lives close to her husband’s family or her own natal family does influence the prevalence of domestic violence.

Fourth, scholars have also examined early life experiences to explain how women view domestic violence.  Scholars suggest that witnessing violence as a child, may teach children to normalize violence. Moreover, experience of violence may also reduce self esteem among women and increase their tolerance of violence.

The authors arrive at five hypotheses:

1. H1: Women  in poorer households  will have higher odds  of experiencing domestic  violence.
2. H2: Women  who  have  more  children  and  are  economically dependent on  marriage  will  have higher odds  of experiencing
   domestic  violence  and of justifying abuse against wives.
3. H3: Women  with more  schooling than  their  husbands  will have higher odds  of experiencing domestic  violence.
4. H4: Women  who  married  at a younger  age, and  who  lack contact  with  natal kin,  will have higher odds  of experiencing
   domestic  violence.
5. H5: Women  who report that their  father beat  their  mother will  have higher odds  of experiencing domestic  violence
   and of justifying abuse against wives

Data:

This paper is based on data from Cambodia 2000 Demographic and Health survey. Women aged 15-49 were eligible for participation. 99% of women were interviewed for the survey. A sub-sample of 25% households were identified to administer domestic violence module. This interview was held under caution to ensure that the women were not put under any major risk.  The DVM included a modified Conflicts Tactics Scale and also included questions about physical violence perpetuated by others. This included 2078 married women.

Dependent variables:

1. Experience of any physical or sexual or psychological violence in the previous year
2. Agree whether the husband is justified to beat his wife.

Independent variables:

Measures of early life experiences are:

1. Childhood residence (urban,rural)
2. Father’s schooling
3. Whether father ever beat her mother

Measures of family organization:

1. Whether father and mother were alive
2. Number of living siblings
3. Age at time of first marriage
4. Whether husband or parents-in-law were residing with the woman
5. Whether anyone from the natal family lived close by

House hold standard of living:

1. Assets and amenities in the household

Results:

Women with lower standard of living had higher odds of experiencing domestic violence. Women  who  had fewer opportunities than  their husbands  because they  had  8-13  fewer years of schooling more  often experienced  physical and psychological domestic  violence. (H2).  Women  with  more  living children  also  more  often experienced  physical domestic  violence  and  reported that  wife
beating is justified  (H2).    Third, women  who may  have challenged  status  expectations in marriage  by  having more  schooling
than  their husbands  had higher odds  of experiencing  psychological, but not physical domestic  violence  (H3).  Unexpectedly  (H4),  neither  a  woman’s age at  first marriage  nor the  survival status  or proximity of her natal  kin  was  associated  with her odds  of experiencing domestic  violence.  Finally, women  who reported father-to-mother violence  in  their  childhood  had higher
odds  of experiencing  physical and psychological domestic  violence,  but did not more often justify wife beating  (H5).