Not your destiny: Autonomy in marriage choices and the intergenerational transmission of domestic violence among Chinese women

Abstract

Objective: This article examines how women's autonomy in marriage choices influences the intergenerational transmission of domestic violence in mainland China. Methods: An original survey was administered to married women in Beijing and Chengdu (N = 1646). Seemingly unrelated regression models accounting for the association between violence perpetration and victimization were conducted. Results: Chinese women's experiences of domestic violence in current marriages were associated with their exposure to interparental violence during childhood. Compared to women with no autonomy in deciding about their marriages, women with autonomy were less likely to show intergenerational transmission of domestic violence. Conclusion: Women's rising autonomy disrupts the intergenerational transmission of domestic violence. The findings highlight the importance of designing relevant policies to further protect and improve women's autonomy in marriage decisions to avoid domestic violence.

Marital adjustment and children's early learning behaviors: The mediating role of maternal involvement and parenting

“…Noteworthily, marital adjustment is positively associated with children's learning behaviors, as opposed to the historical female‐submissive and male‐dominated marital relationship that was positively associated with children's development in China (Gao, 2003). Chinese women's fundamental marital shift toward autonomy and respect in personal relationships is consistent with the constructs of marital adjustment (Zhao et al, 2022), including affectional support, conjugal intimacy, shared decision‐making, and dyadic satisfaction. Therefore, parents have the potential to enhance their marital adjustment by implementing strategies that promote dyadic satisfaction, consensus, cohesion, and happiness, which positively relate to children's early learning behavior.…”

“…Economic globalization is followed by cultural openness, or an increasing acceptance of a wide range of other beliefs, values, and lifestyles (Gui, 2017; Yeung & Hu, 2013). Furthermore, the cultural shift toward inclusive and equal standing has contributed to Chinese women's increasing desire for autonomy and respect in their personal relationships (Zhao et al, 2022), aligning with the constructs of marital adjustment, including emotional support, spousal intimacy, shared decision‐making, and other relevant dimensions within the marital experience. Chinese women have also begun to challenge the notion of male dominance in previous marriage views and have begun to desire free love and marriage, equal standing between men and women as husband and wife, and a passionate marriage mode (Gui, 2017).…”

Does Childhood Experience of Interparental Abuse Shape Women’s Attitude Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Their Adult Life? Evidence From 31 Developing Countries

“…Women who are exposed to interparental violence during childhood may be more likely to imitate their parents’ behaviors, particularly in terms of the “attitudinal acceptance of violence” and, in turn, may continue accepting spousal violence as part of the conventional gender roles and imbalanced distribution of power in marital relationships (Zhao et al, 2022). Because children often learn to resolve disputes with others by observing how their parents resolve parental conflicts (Staudt, 2021), women often accept the spousal violence by imitating their mother’s attitude about acceptance of violence (Scrafford et al, 2020).…”