| Physical abuse in marriage is the act of inflicting pain | | | | with aggressive personality and poor anger |
| on a partner in order to assert control over him/her. | | | | management skills often gives in to violent outburst |
| More cases of physical abuse in marriage involve the | | | | of anger which is out of proportion to any offense |
| male partner as the aggressor than the female. | | | | committed. Husbands with perfectionist and |
| Every year in the US, 2 to 4 million women are | | | | difficult-to-please nature often find reasons to fight |
| assaulted by male partners as against 800,000 cases | | | | with their wives. |
| of domestic violence perpetrated by women against | | | | 10. When a partner is idle. An unemployed or |
| men while 2,000 women are murdered by their | | | | underemployed husband reads meaning to every |
| current or former male partners in the US. The | | | | action of the wife, feels threatened and resorts to |
| following are some of the underlying causes: | | | | violence to control his wife. |
| | | | 11. Cultural Background A husband who comes from a |
| 1. Lack of Church attendance. Religion especially | | | | culture where the wife is treated as a property and |
| Judeo-Christian faith has a way of tempering | | | | where wife abuse is an entrenched practice would |
| man’s aggressive nature and making him see his | | | | have no inhibitions in being violent against his wife. |
| wife as a God-given complement to his person. A | | | | 12. Faulty Religious Beliefs A wife who has a |
| husband who does not believe in the word of God | | | | misunderstanding of what it is to submit to her |
| will not subscribe to this biblical teaching. Such a man | | | | husband, accepts physical abuse thereby reinforcing |
| does not accept the Christian teaching in Ephesians | | | | the husband’s antisocial and violent behavior. A |
| 5:25 which says Husbands love your wives, just as | | | | husband who goes to a church where the rights of |
| Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it | | | | women are ignored would not have any inhibitions |
| and Eph. 5: 33 Nevertheless, let each of you so love | | | | about using fist cuffs to settle marital disputes. |
| his own wife as himself. He acts with impunity | | | | 13. Absence of Law against Battery Husbands living in |
| without recourse to God because he believes might | | | | a country where there are no laws against battery |
| is right since he does not have the fear of God in | | | | take liberty for license and behave violently toward |
| him | | | | their wives. |
| 2. Poor Spousal Communication. Communication is the | | | | 14. Low Socioeconomic Status of Woman A husband |
| lubricant that oils the machinery of marriage; when it | | | | married to a woman of poor social standing feels he |
| is poorly developed; partners get physical over minor | | | | would not be called to question if he behaves |
| issues. | | | | violently towards his wife. |
| 3. Victim of Child Abuse A husband who was a victim | | | | 15. Urban Residence Studies have found the incidence |
| of child abuse has pent up anger and feelings of | | | | of physical abuse is higher among couples living in |
| inferiority which he will release on his partner after | | | | urban settings. This might be related to the higher |
| marriage unless he has dealt with the issue before | | | | stress of living in such places with men developing |
| marriage. | | | | volatile temper as a consequence. |
| 4. Witnessed Father Beat up Mother A husband who | | | | 16. Young age at time of Marriage Men who marry |
| witnessed his dad beat up his mum would think it is | | | | early in life especially if pregnancy out of wedlock |
| normal to act that way when there is disagreement. | | | | compelled them to marry may be prone to wife |
| 5. Husbands who abuse alcohol or drugs. Such men | | | | abuse. |
| drink or use drugs and thereafter lose their self | | | | 17. Great number of children The stress level in such |
| control and become violent. | | | | families is high because of the demands of the |
| 6. Wrong Gender Role Beliefs. Husbands with | | | | children and this could lead to physical abuse during |
| distorted view of their role as heads in the home use | | | | quarrels. |
| their position to demand unquestioning obedience | | | | 18. Unmet expectations When a man has a hidden |
| from their wives or else they use violence to beat | | | | reason for marrying a woman, for instance, if he is |
| them in to submission. | | | | expecting some financial assistance from the in-laws |
| 7. Failure or Unhappiness at place of work. A husband | | | | and this is not forthcoming, he can resort to violence |
| who is a failure or is miserable at the place of work | | | | during minor misunderstandings. |
| comes home with pent up anger and takes it out on | | | | 19. Denial of conjugal rights When a woman deprives |
| the wife and children. | | | | the husband of his conjugal rights because of his |
| 1. Poor Social Skills. Husbands with low self esteem | | | | inability to fend for his family, he tries to use force |
| and inferiority complex who have exaggerated need | | | | to get his way. |
| to dominate their wives to show that they are in | | | | 20. Disrespect towards a husband A woman who |
| charge at home resort to spousal physical abuse | | | | taunts and disrespects the husband or compares him |
| during disagreements. Such men find it difficult to be | | | | with more successful men could be at a risk of |
| intimate with their wife. | | | | violence being used against her during arguments. |
| 2. Aggressive and Perfectionist Personality A husband | | | | |