Domestic Violence

An investigation by the All-China Women’s Federation showed domestic violence exists in 30 percent of China’s 270 million families. To be specific, more than 91 percent of recorded incidents of domestic violence were committed by men, including physical contact, insults and threats. According to statistics released by the Supreme People’s Court in 2019, 14.86 percent of divorces in China were caused by domestic violence, the second reason cited for divorce. China’s first Domestic Violence Law was enacted in March 2016 in which perpetrators are fined up to 1,000 yuan (US$144) and given a 15-day detention, and serious offenders face criminal charges. By the end of October 2017, domestic violence had led to 635 deaths of both adults and children across the country. Sufferers of domestic violence in China generally tend to treat it as a private family issue. The long legal process and vague criteria to define domestic violence have also made it hard to eradicate.