Social Factors Affecting Violence against Women, Case Study: the City of Ravansar

Domestic violence is the most common form of the violence against women entailing deep social, economic and psychological outcomes. This study explores the relationship between Spousal Abuse (violence against women in the family) and other factors which influence the issue. The aim of this study is to understand and to measure the rate of spousal abuse and violence against women in the city of Ravansar (Kermanshah province). To determine the influential factors in propagation of violence, theories related to cultural identity, patriarchy, intergenerational transmission and methods of gender role socialization are used. This is a survey-method research utilizing aquestionnaire completed by 200 married women respondents in the city, within the period thattheir marriage wasat least one year old. The cluster sampling andsystematic sampling methods were implemented. The results show that there are various dimensions of violence in the society. The most common type of violence is the psychological violence and sexual violence and the lowest rates of violence is the economic one. The results, also, show that there is a significant relationship between the image of the authoritarian man derived from his gender role and violence against women.There is, however, an inverse relationship between participation of the husbandin household chores and violence against women. The results show that there is a significant relationship between, men’s and women’s violence experienced in their families of the origin (i.e. their parents) and the violence against women.