Violence against Wives and Children in Hong Kong

Abstract

Studies on family violence toward wives and children in Hong Kong, although limited, are consistent with the ecological model that explains this violence as the interaction of a confluence of factors that are at work at different levels. In this paper, four clinical cases are selected to demonstrate the applicability of the model in Hong Kong. The immigration background of the family, low socio-economic status, perceived lack of support, and Chinese values on obedience to authority stand out as contributory factors to violent acts. A multi-faceted and multi-leveled prevention program to achieve zero tolerance of violence is proposed that prescribes caution as to the possible double victimization of individuals and families by the larger social system.KEY WORDS: double victimization; ecological perspective; prevention; violence to women and children.On April 11, 2004, Hong Kongers were struck by the deaths of all four members of a nuclear family that was composed of an alleged homicidal husband and three victims, the wife and their twin daughters. As with similar incidents that have been reported in the past, the public, helping professionals, and the government were alarmed that family violence might have become a social problem in this Chinese community. Friends of the deceased wife, workers of the women's shelter at which the woman had stayed, helping professionals in the government Social Welfare Department, and non-governmental social services agencies pressed for a thorough review of the system that protects families and children in Hong Kong.

What “Family Affair?” Domestic Violence Awareness in China

“…Of the total number of articles included in the review and subsequent analysis (N = 21), the vast majority were published within the last 5 years (n = 12), and adopted various methodological approaches. Some of the reviewed studies used qualitative approaches investigated domestic violence in the context of family experiences [e.g., (21)] or a series of interviews with males (n = 18) who had used violence against their partner [e.g., (22)]; while others adopted more quantitative approaches, such as cross-sectional designs with large groups of participants [e.g., (23,24)], or a pre-post experimental design with police officers (N=401) in evaluating changing attitudes toward domestic violence [e.g., (25)]. Detailed information on the list of articles reviewed could be found in Table 2.…”

Tolerance for Intimate Partner Violence: A Comparative Study of Chinese and American College Students

“…Some nongovernmental organizations specializing in handling IPV also provide community education, group counseling, and hotline services for victims and batterers. Several critics of IPV policy and practice have been noted, including the lack of a mechanism for real coordinated efforts among different professionals (Chan & Lam, 2005), an inadequate effort and public resources (Tsun & Tsang, 2005), an overemphasis on family preservation while neglecting the needs of women (Chan & Lam, 2005), and the neglect of the involvement of grassroots agencies (Chan, Lam, & Cheng, 2009).…”

Who should play a major role in responding to intimate partner violence? A comparison of Chinese and American college students’ preferences

“…Some NGOs specializing in handling IPV also provide community education, group counseling, and hotline services for victims and batterers. Several critics of IPV policy and practice have been noted, including the lack of a mechanism for real coordinated efforts among different professionals (Chan and Lam, 2005), inadequate effort and public resources (Tsun and Tsang, 2005), an overemphasis on family preservation while neglecting the needs of women (Chan and Lam, 2005), and the neglect of the involvement of grassroots agencies (Chan et al, 2009). In the US, the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) promulgated both civil and criminal strategies, such as toughening enforcement action, increasing offender incapacitation, and enhancing officer training, to protect women's rights.…”