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CHINA - SPEAK OUT AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - CAMPAIGN

 

Survey reveals significant increase in domestic violence in China.

 

Editor: Zhu Yanhong - July 24, 2012

In conjunction with this year's International Day of Families, May 15, 2012, Beijing launched an activity that is part of the global anti-domestic violence campaign 'Speak Out Against Domestic Violence'. The global project aims to crack down on domestic violence and promote happier homes.

The project was jointly launched by the United States National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Avon Foundation for Women, to finance different non-profit organizations from 16 countries around the world in their fight against domestic violence.

In China, the Maple Women's Psychological Counseling Center Beijing, with its years of achievements and experience in anti-domestic violence work, received US $ 60,000 from the global project to roll out the activity in China.

With the support of the China Women’s Development Foundation (CWDF) and the Specialized Committee for Women's Health and Development of the China Association for Mental Health, the project will be implemented in five cities: Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu.

The project will train 300 social community workers and involve the participation of 3,000 community residents. The activity aims to raise public awareness of the problem and to prevent further incidences from happening.

During the activity's launch ceremony in Beijing, the striking results of a survey on domestic violence in China were released. According to the survey, conducted by the Maple Women's Psychological Counseling Center Beijing and Netease.com, as many as 54.6 percent of the 1,858 people surveyed online have experienced domestic violence. The proportion is almost twice as high as the results of a survey made by the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) in 2007.

According to the ACWF results, domestic violence happened in 30 percent of the 270 million Chinese families surveyed, with over 85 percent of the sufferers being women and 100,000 families in China being destroyed by it each year.

The survey participants display certain characteristics. Firstly, the proportion of surveyed women was 3.27 times that of men. Secondly, those surveyed were usually young, with 43.2 percent between the ages of 31 and 40 and 40.9 percent between 21 and 30. Thirdly, most of the surveyed people lived in urban areas and had ready access to the Internet. Lastly, the educational qualifications of those surveyed were fairly high, with high school certificate or bachelor degree holders accounting for 81.9 percent.

The survey also shows that domestic violence takes many forms, including slapping, hitting, kicking and pinching. Some of the more serious forms involve hitting with sticks or leather belts and deliberate burning or cutting with knives.

Most victims of domestic violence suffer in silence, with 30.6 percent of them thinking that seeking help will be of no use and that they should solve the issue themselves. Almost 30 percent believe that domestic violence scandals should be kept a private matter.

During the launch ceremony, a short play based on a true-life domestic violence case was presented. The play depicted the personal growth of a domestic violence victim, from suffering in silence to reaching out to seek legal help with the support of community social workers and the police. Her bravery touched many in the audience, some of whom were weeping in sympathy and admiration.

It is hoped that the launch of the activity will raise public awareness on anti-domestic violence work and encourage more women to speak out against domestic violence in the future.

(Source: cdb.org.cn/ Translated and edited by womenofchina.cn)