Perception of Intimate Partner Violence: A Comparison of Chinese and American College Student’s Attitude

• In Event: Gender and Victimization from a Cross-National Perspective

Abstract

While a large amount of research has been conducted in the West on domestic violence related issues, only a small number of studies have focused specifically on Chinese societies. Even rarer is investigating the topic from an international and comparative perspective. Drawing upon survey data collected from approximately 600 Chinese and American college students, this study empirically assesses, compare and contrast students’ attitudes towards intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents, measured by students’ demographic characteristics, personal and vicarious experiences with crime including domestic violence, and perceptions of gender roles and violence. Chinese students were found to be less likely to define examples of abusive acts as IPV than their U.S. counterparts. Gender-role attitudes, such as beliefs of male dominance and IPV as crime, were among the most prominent predictors of students’ definitions of IPV. Chinese and American college students’ attitudes differed not only in what is defined as IPV, but also in what are the factors that shaped such attitudes. Chinese students’ attitudes towards IPV were shaped mainly by their attitudes towards gender equality, whereas American students’ attitudes were influenced chiefly by their background characteristics and attitudes towards violence. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

Authors

• Luye Li, University of Delaware

• Ivan Y. Sun, University of Delaware