Both sexes hit by violence in the home, says study

Men and women are equally to blame in dishing out domestic violence and both suffer similar degrees of mental harm, a study has found.

The study of 828 people aged 25 found that 5 per cent of family partners reported severe domestic violence between the partners, such as strangling or being pushed against a wall. Three people needed medical care.

The Christchurch study also found that depression, anxiety and suicide were two to three times more likely in those who experienced domestic violence than in those who did not.

It is one of the first studies to show that men suffer these problems to a similar degree to women following domestic violence.

Other work has estimated that about 15 per cent of women in New Zealand suffer domestic violence.

Professor David Fergusson, the author of the Christchurch study, published in the United States-based Journal of Marriage and Family, said yesterday that those who dished out the violence were generally victims too.

"It's mutual conflict, so they are violent households."

The study may be seen to contradict the view that men are more violent in relationships.

"It is the case that severe assaults, the kind you see in women's refuges, are probably committed by males, but most of the family violence that goes on involves mutual conflict between couples," Professor Fergusson said.

"This study should reshape what we think about gender and violence ...

"These are black-and-white stereotypes - males are brutes and females are victims - that dominate our thinking. The evidence doesn't suggest that, but changing that view is going to take a lot of work. Anybody who challenges that view is likely to be criticised."

Professor Maureen Molloy, of Auckland University's Women's Studies Programme, was unwilling to comment on the Christchurch study as she had not read the journal paper, but said it was important for research to specify the nature of the violence.

"I don't think more or less or equal is the question. It's about process and degree of violence.

"It may be that as many women and men shove a partner or slap a partner. How many women beat their partner until they need to be hospitalised?

"How many women kill their partners as part of routine violence?

"One woman is killed by their partner or ex-partner every five weeks in New Zealand."


Domestic violence

* Study of 828 people aged 25.
* 5 per cent of family partners reported severe violence between partners, like punching, choking or forced sex.
* 62 per cent reported mild to moderate violence.
* 33 per cent reported none.
* The rates of violence perpetrated by men and women were the same.
* 3 study participants needed medical treatment for domestic assaults.
Source: Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences.