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Men and Women Define Domestic
Violence Differently
Men are less likely to Define Means of
Psychological Control as Abusive Behavior According to Liz Claiborne Inc. Study
Is it abuse if a man punches, hits or strikes a woman? How about if
he prevents her from seeing her family or friends? What if he tells her what she can and
can't wear? A survey commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc.'s Women's
Work program reveals that men and women don't entirely agree in the way they define
abusive behaviors.
While equal numbers of the men and women surveyed agreed that acts
of physical violence toward a woman (99%) and threats of such violence (96%) are abuse,
men are less likely than women to include behaviors such as telling her what clothes she
can or cannot wear or refusing to give her money when she asks for it or needs it in their
definitions of domestic abuse.
Only one-third (33 percent) of the men surveyed said that
controlling what a woman wears is definitely abuse, while over 50 percent of the women
said that it definitely is a form of abuse. A similar difference is seen in the views of
men and women on whether a man is guilty of abuse if he refuses to give his wife or
girlfriend money. Only 24 percent of men and 37 percent of women say that this behavior is
definitely abuse, and 54 percent of men and 74 percent of women say that this behavior is
probably abuse.
Despite the extensive media attention given to relationship violence
over the past three years, we find Americans, particularly men, are still struggling to
define psychological control as abusive behavior, said Esta Soler, executive director,
Family Violence Prevention Fund. As more people learn about abuse, they will realize that
men use both physical and psychological means to gain control of women.
Americans Agree Domestic Violence Against Women is a Major
Problem
Despite the differences in their definitions of domestic violence,
more than three-quarters (77 percent) of the public agree that domestic violence against
women is one of the major problems facing our country. About one-out-of-five (21 percent)
of those surveyed dismiss it as being only a minor problem and about one-out-of-50 (2
percent) say that it is not really a problem at all. However, women are significantly more
concerned about the issue than men - 85 percent of women describe domestic violence as a
major problem, compared with just 69 percent of men. As these survey findings show,
Americans are aware that domestic violence is a serious problem facing our country. But,
that is only half of the battle, said Jane Randel, director, Liz Claiborne Inc.'s Women's
Work domestic violence awareness, education and prevention program. We believe everyone
must take action to help prevent domestic violence in our society, including friends,
family members and employers.
Most Americans Know Someone Involved in Domestic Violence
More than half (56 percent) of Americans say they have at least one
friend, relative or co-worker who they know has been involved in domestic violence --
either a woman who has been a victim or a man they feel has been guilty of it. The survey
found little difference in the number of men (54 percent) and women (59 percent) who
personally know someone they believe has been involved in an abusive relationship.
Women's Work
Through its Women's Work program, Liz Claiborne Inc. has been
addressing the issue of domestic violence for over six years. The program's awareness and
education campaign has included billboards, radio announcements, posters, brochures,
partnerships with local retailers and community groups. Last year, the company worked with
its advertising agency Gotham, Inc. to develop public service announcements (PSAs)
positioning high profile college football players as icons of masculinity who discouraged
men from participating in relationship violence or tolerating it in others. Liz Claiborne
Inc. is continuing this effort by producing a series of radio PSAs using well-known male
recording artists to reinforce the message that men should speak out against relationship
violence.
This survey was conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide based on
telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,011 adults -- half men/half women -- across
the country. Interviews were conducted during the period of April 24 - April 27, 1997.
Liz Claiborne Inc./Women's Work
Domestic Violence Survey Findings
- More than three-quarters (77 percent) of the American public describe
domestic violence against women as one of the major problems facing our country.
- About one-out-of-five Americans (21 percent) dismiss domestic
violence against women as being only a minor problem and about one-out-of-50 (2 percent)
say that it is not really a problem at all.
- The survey revealed that 85 percent of women describe domestic
violence against women as a major problem, compared with just 69 percent of men who feel
this way.
- Women and men are equally likely to say that punching, hitting, or
striking one's wife or girlfriend (99 percent), and threatening to kill or severely hurt
her (96 percent) are definitely abuse.
- Men are less certain than women about whether psychological control
is considered abusive. Women are more likely than men (51 percent versus 33 percent) to
say that they would definitely include telling her what clothes she can or cannot wear and
refusing to give her money when she asks for it or needs it (37 percent versus 24 percent)
in their definitions of domestic abuse.
- Seventy-three percent of people -- 78 percent of women and 67 percent
of men -- definitely define a man's preventing his wife or girlfriend from seeing her
friends and family as abusive.
- Eighty-one percent of people -- 85 percent of women and 75 percent of
men -- say that a man cursing at or verbally insulting his wife or girlfriend in front of
others is definitely abuse.
- More than half (56 percent) of Americans say they have at least one
friend, relative or co-worker who they know has been involved in domestic violence --
either a woman who has been a victim or a man who they feel has been guilty of it.
- Nearly one-third of the public (31 percent) correctly estimate the
number of women affected by domestic violence as about one-out-of-four, but over one-third
admit (37 percent) that they don't know enough about the issue to estimate.
Through its Women's Work program, Liz Claiborne Inc. has been
addressing the issue of domestic violence for over six years. The program's awareness and
education campaign has included billboards, radio announcements, posters, brochures,
partnerships with local retailers and community groups. Last year, the Company developed
public service announcements (PSAs) featuring high profile college football players who
discouraged men from participating in relationship violence or tolerating it in others.
Liz Claiborne Inc. is continue this effort by producing a series of radio PSAs using
well-known male recording artists as icons of masculinity to reinforce the message that
men should speak out against relationship violence.
The study was conducted by Roper Starch Worldwide, a leading public
opinion research firm. Interviews with a random sample of 1,011 adults nationwide -- half
men and half women -- were conducted during the period of April 24 to April 27, 1997.
Results are representative of the views and opinions of the U.S. population within a
margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Findings based on men or
women separately are subject to a margin of error plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Complete findings from the survey are available, on request, from Tracy Garfinkel, Patrice
Tanaka & Company, Inc., 3 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10014.
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