Causes and Factors Related to Wife Battering

Abstract

Causes and Factors Related to Wife Battering

Rangsima   Taepaiboon MD, LLB

Unit of Forensic Medicine, BMA General Hospital.

Objective: To determine the causes and factors related to wife battering.

Study design: Descriptive study.

Subjects: A total of 120 battered wives who were sent by the police officers for a forensic medical investigation at BMA General Hospital during January 2002 and May 2008.

Methods: History and physical examinations data of bodies assault women and forensic evidence report of Forensic Medicine Unit (FM-ISO-003) were searched from the hospital records.

Main outcome measures: Causes and factors related to wife battering.

Results: There were 120 bodies of assaulted wives. Mean age was 31.5 ± 8.3 years. The most common cause of physical abuse was the quarrel (55 cases or 45.8%). Others were economical problems (33 cases or 27.5%), deceiving husbands (25 cases or 20.8%), and sexual abuse husbands (seven cases or 5.9%). The most common physical abuse were slapping, kicking or punching in 82 cases (68.3%). Head and face were the most common sites of injury in 64 cases (53.3%). Most of physical injury were bruises, 74 cases (61.7%). The factor most commonly found with wife battering was alcohol over-drinking of the husbands, 73 cases (60.8%) while the significant factors associated with the severity were wife's education, caused of battering, especially from the deceiving or horny husband or history of previous battering and husband's gambling.

Conclusion: The most common cause of wife battering was a quarrel while significant factor related to the bodies assault was her husband alcoholic drinking.

Vajira Med J 2009 ; 53 : 171-179