Domestic Violence in China, Research Paper Example

In a domestic violence article by Kim Lee called “Abuse, Fear and Shame in China,” the author chronicled a disturbing trend in China concerning atrocities against women. China’s society has accepted domestic violencethat supports the male in legal, financial, and family matters. In China today, these domestic violence incidents arelegally accepted even though more China women are sounding the alarm in the global media(Lee 2). The Chinese government is a very proud country that does not condone such public problems aired in the media. China’s local community laws support the idea that family problems cannot be regulated by the legislations.

The Chinese government believes that all private matters of the wife and husband must remain behind closed doors not in the forefront of the media. The Chinese government does not want to change or acknowledge a problem with the Chinese family unit because it has been a part of their culture for centuries. The impact to the children must be included in the changes to the women’s rights in China because there is no support system for the children that are born into a violence family. There are some agencies working with the Chinese government such as United Nations General Assembly and Woman’s Rights organizations the long term affects to women be studied and brought to the forefront. The women rights movement has presented over 100 studies indicating the long term and short terms effects of domestic violence to unborn children. The study Kashif, Murtaza and Kirkman(2010 further shows that domestic violence is not limited to the poor economically disadvanged people of China but this includes middle and upper class families as well(pg.19).

The primary problem exist in the judicial system that not have severe penalties for men who are habitually abuse their wives physically and mentally. The change in China begins with the perception that abuse is a crime instead of just a family issue. The new contemporary Chinese women are gaining their voices use women advocate organizations and bring awareness to the forefront on a legal platform. The current legal system believes that not all issues of family problems should be legislated and the sentences for domestic crimes are favorable for the men. There is a consensus and perception from the legal system in China is a woman’s life is not value the same as a man. The police do not respond to Chinese women beaten or savagely killed nor do the courts give long sentences for men would kill their wives. The Chinese prison system completed a survey study that found aconcerning trend: over 60% of women incarcerated killing or injuring their husbands in retaliation (Lee 3). The men receive a few years for the death of their wives. In comparison, the women received life sentences for the same crime.

The disparity in these sentencing numbers between Chinese men and women reflects the overall mentality towards the lack of human rights for women in China. The domestic violence changes cannot be made unless the legal system provides equality and justice for all Chinese not just the men. The article by Kim Lee (2010) gave examples of real life incidents showing how the police would ignore beatings or even women beaten to death by their husbands. The incidents would be classified as family issues to be resolved by the male. This article expressed that many domestic violence issues will not be reported because when the Chinese women make a complaint at the police station they are persecuted. The women of China have taken so chances that make cost their lives for being outspoken about the domestic abuse to them and their children.

There are several reports by Centers for Women’s Health, Gender and Society and the University of Melbourne, indicating the only way to make change in China is mandating that domestic violence against women in China a human rights violation. The human rights violations would bring local, national and globally pressure against China, which would bring some shame to the proud Chinese people. The exposure would addressed the gender-bias country bring many supports under the public concern umbrella. In addition, there must be programs to support the mental, physical, and psychological health of Chinese women being abused. It was found in a study by Kashif, Murtaza and Kirman (2010), woman domestic violence was documented in 14 different studies sharing that women that were pregnant were abused mentally and isolation. In addition, the women suffer from deep depression because of the acceptable domestic abuse (pg.8).This study shows the impact of domestic violence to the women but also the impact to the unborn children, who will born into violence in the Chinese household.

The current data on domestic violence is China presented by the All China Woman’s Federation shared that one in every four women in China experience verbal abuse, battery, economic control, marital rape, and personal liberties taken away. In addition, women that lives in the rural areas more likely to suffer physical abuse. (All China Woman’s Federation as cited in Tingting 2).The China historical family structure has the male as the dominant figure and the wife as a second-class citizen. Traditionally, in China any matters of domestic violence in China are considered a private issue to be handled within the confines of the home. It is clear that women in China do not have the same rights, privileges, or legal equity in the judicial system. Chinese advocates and the media that women in China should never discuss the domestic abuse in public have proved it. In the culture of China, it is acceptable for domestic violence to exist because the unwritten rule is all-personal issues inside the home should never be shared with outside world(Tingting 1). The silence of domestic violence of women in China have been brought to the forefront with media exposure, advocate organizations for women and improvements in Chinas legal judicial system. Domestic violence against women is a globally issues affecting many different countries but none more than China.

The most difficult part about this global phenomenon is China has hundreds of years of domination of women in the name of family Chinese traditions. Domestic violence is a devastating issue that harms the entire Chinese family unit as well as isolating the women. This is most prevalent in China because the marital control by the husband is an accepted practice. China has made some changes that can perceived as positive to the world because they have implement some new policies to include domestic violence. In the last 20 years, the Chinese have made some improvements in the areas of legal precedence in support of domestic abuse survivors. The Chinese legal system has amended the Marriage Law of China to include the “domestic violence” in 2001. (Tingting 3).

The secondary problem is thousands of years of women being dominated in China with supporting lawsthat give the male the power and right to punish his wife in private with no repercussions. This Chinese tradition has always been in the benefit of the man because the women could not fight back in fear of losing face, money, property and their children in divorce court in China. The Chinese male dominant world does not believe in divorce nor do they condone any women seeking to leave her husband for domestic abuse. The women have been living in fear in the shadows butthe contemporary Chinese women of today are standing up. The authors like Kim Lee (2010) are leading the way putting their lives on the line to bring domestic laws to the Chinese legal lawmakers.

Conclusion

The overall problem with domestic violence presents a challenge in China because they are not only fighting for women’s rights but they are fighting hundreds of years of oppression. In addition, they are battling the Chinese government that allows domestic violence in the name of family rights of the male. Another problem that must be overcome is the Chinese perception that family matters are private which cannot be legislated by the Chinese government. The Chinese have local laws that make not be control outside that city which makes it difficult to make changes, however, changes at the judicial level can make a difference.  The local and national changes in domestic violence issues can change the perceptions because the women will now have the legal support of law enforcement.

There are other agencies that are supporting the domestic violence changes, which are the United Nations General Assembly and Woman’s Rights organizations. These organizations have shamed many Chinese government agencies in to addressing the domestic violence atrocities against women very public. In addition, these organizations have help push the issues to the Chinese Judicial System address the disparities in punishment to women and men for domestic violence crimes. In support of the domestic violence against women in China, the All ChinaWoman’s Federation is bringing valuable studies to light showing the devastating number of women that are abuse, battered, raped, and killed. It will take the joint efforts of the domestic violence advocates, Woman’s Rights organizations, Human Rights intervention, Chinese Judicial System, and the women of China to make changes. The continued pressure in the media will the most effective tool in making domestic violence changes because the Chinese are a very proud people that take public perception about family seriously. The public scrutiny will face the powerful take the issues seriously while allowing the women to have a voice in a community that women are second-class citizens. In an article by Kim Lee (2010), stated thousands of women joined the fight when she publically shared her story of abuse.

Works Cited

Kashif, M., Murtaza, K. & Kirkman, M.Violence Against Women During Pregnancy in some Asian Countries: A Review of The Literature: Italian Journal of Public Health Vol 7, Number 2(2010):pg. 8-11. Healey Library Resource.Web 18 Nov. 2014

Lee, K. (2014, Sept).Abuse, Fear and Shame in China. 18 November 2014.Web Sept 2014

Investigators from University of Hong Kong Have Reported New Data on Violence Against

Tingting, C. (2013, Oct).Breaking the Pattern of Silence over Domestic Violence in China. 11 November 2014. Web Oct 2013

Women [Assessing the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in the Chinese Population: The Chinese Risk Assessment Tool for Perpetrator (CRAT-P)] [Assessing the …].” Women’s Health Weekly 25 Sept. 2014: 160. General OneFile. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.