THE PREVALENCE AND DETERMINATION OF WIFE ABUSE IN URBAN CHINA

Using survey data from a major metropolitan area of the People's Repub lic of China; this article aims to understand the prevalence,trends, a n determinants of wife abuse in urban China. The findings indicate tha t wife abuse is not only present but also prevalent under the Chinese socialist system. In supporting the author's hypotheses, the results s how that the incidence of wife abuse sharply declined after the Chines e socialist revolution (1949) and climaxed during the Cultural Revolut ion (1966-1976). In the reform era of the 1980s, the incidence of wife abuse, the findings show that while close ties with natal families an d non-neolocal living arrangements are inversely related to. the sever ity of wife abuse, the husband-domianted power structure and the sexua l division of domestic labor are positively related to the severity of wife abuse. The results further reveal that the lack of marital inter action, the manner and extent of marital conflict, and marital instabi lity can trigger and foster wife abuse. Family, a possible regional tr end variation in wife abuse in urban Chinese society is noted.