“Domestic Violence A Cross Cultural View”
1) Although child abuse has always been a part of the lower class culture in India, in recent years it has escalated into all classes of culture. This increase in child abuse can be attributed to stress associated with becoming an industrial and modern society. As more and more people move from a rural setting into an unfamiliar urban environment the pressure placed upon the parents of these children to succeed is unbearable to the point of taking it out on the children. What is worse is the fact that “corporal” or extreme abuse is on rise. This type of abuse is directed more toward female children than their male counter parts. The reason for this singular attack is the fact that in India, like other parts of the world sees a female child as a burden. A female child in their views is unable to farm the land or send money to support the family; also the family must put up a dowry when the female gets married and if the dowry is not enough the bride may be held for ransom by her husband family until a suitable dowry has been paid. In some extreme circumstances female babies have been “Neonaticide” or killed at birth or they may be left unattended with little or no care to expire in short period of time.
It is sad to think that a country like India, which is on the rise as an economic power house, still turns to such barbaric practices. But in these types of cultures these seem to be the norm it is excepted form of stress release.
2) In Vietnam there is two types of abuse used against women the “invisible violence” and the “visible violence”. The” invisible violence” is not physical and leaves no marks but causes women to fear and be intimidated by their husbands. This type of abuse is found in both urban educated the rural poor women. Woman after working a second shift job are expected to come home and do house work for another five to six hours. Many women who are raised in the Confucian culture are afraid to leave. The “visible violence” in Vietnam is a major reason the divorce rate has risen since 1992, it has affected the percent of deaths related to family violence.
3) The reason men in these societies think it is okay to beat on their wives and abuse their children is it is a norm. They saw their dads abuse their moms and they were probably abused by them also. So in order to change this norm we need to start educating these men that it is not okay to do any harm to your love ones and that abuse in any form is wrong. Period. It will take a lot of work but it can be done they need to break the cycle.

Chip