Social Stress, Alcohol and Wife Abuse in Urban Poor Families

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association 1998;36(10):103-118.

스트레스 및 알콜이 아내구타에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구 - 도시 빈곤가구를 중심으로 -

김재엽

연세대학교 사회복지학과

Social Stress, Alcohol and Wife Abuse in Urban Poor Families

김재엽

ABSTRACT

Although there is a little concern about wife beating, the problem is in very serious level. Especially many community workers in urban poor areas reported that they often wittnessed wife abuse cases and most battered women have no place to ask help. However, there is not many systematic analysis on wife abuse in those areas. The purpose of this study are (1) to more accurately estimate the incidence of wife abuse in poor families; (2) to examine the interrelationships of socio economic status, stress and alcohol consumption of wife abuse. The results show that almost 1 out of 3 husbands in urban poor areas carried out 1 or more physical violence acts against their wives during the last year and that social stress has statistically significant relationship with wife abuse in the urban poor families.