Marital Violence: Definition, Causes, and Effects

Marital violence is a form of domestic abuse carried out systematically by a husband or partner against his wife or partner.

Marital violence can take several forms, including psychological, physical, and verbal abuse, as well as economic and sexual violence.

What does marital violence mean?

It refers to violence directed by a partner towards his spouse. The husband holds authority within the home in a relationship marked by an imbalance of power and a lack of recognition of equality between spouses. This often involves the husband's attempt to subdue his wife and erase her individuality according to his own image.

This type of violence harms the wife, threatens her well-being, and causes psychological, material, and emotional damage.

Definition of marital violence according to the World Health Organization (WHO):

It is a systematic behavior by a partner, or within an intimate relationship, that causes psychological, physical, or sexual harm, including coerced sexual acts, physical assault, psychological abuse, and controlling behaviors.

Statistics on marital violence:

According to WHO statistics: On average, thirty percent of women in relationships report experiencing some form of violence—whether physical or sexual—by their partner worldwide.

The WHO also reported that up to 38 percent of female homicide victims are killed by intimate partners.

Factors associated with marital violence:

The United Nations Fund pointed to a study identifying four factors contributing to intimate partner violence, as follows:

• Society: Societies that accept violence as a way to resolve problems and conflicts, or where aggression and violence are closely linked to concepts of masculinity, and where strict gender roles prevail.
• Community: Low economic and social status, poverty, unemployment, isolation of women and families, and association with delinquent peers—all contribute to marital violence.
• Relationship: Male dominance in society, where the man controls everything and holds leadership, while the woman relinquishes her rights, often leads to the husband exerting control over his wife's assets.
• The perpetrator: Witnessing marital violence during childhood, being male, and experiencing violence as a child.

Effects of marital violence on women:

As mentioned earlier, and according to multiple WHO reports, a husband's violence can lead to physical, psychological, and health problems, including reproductive health issues in both the short and long term. These effects can be classified as follows:

Health effects:

• Possible injuries.
• Consequences that may lead to death, such as suicide or homicide.
• Unwanted pregnancies, which may lead to abortion and other women's health issues.
• Disorders such as depression, stress, sleep problems, and eating disorders.

Effects on children:

Children raised in families where the husband is violent often suffer from behavioral and emotional disorders, which may lead them to become violent or aggressive individuals unable to integrate into society.

Economic and social effects:

Marital violence can result in severe economic and social problems. In some cases, women may be forced to leave their jobs, and may only be able to care for their children and themselves to a very limited extent.

It is important to emphasize the necessity of choosing a suitable partner and to leave any toxic relationship in which a man is domineering and practices marital violence in the home.