Citation

Haarr RN. Fem. Criminol. 2007; 2(3): 245-270.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1557085107302869

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In Tajikistan, wife abuse is a significant problem that has received virtually no attention from researchers or the government of Tajikistan. This descriptive study seeks to understand women's approval of wife abuse and the extent of wife abuse in Tajik women's lives. Four hundred women in three districts of Khatlon Oblast participated in this general population survey. Overall, most women approved of wife abuse by one's husband and/or mother-in-law and maintained that there were a wide range of so-called justifiable circumstances for wife abuse, particularly for behaviors that transgress expectations. A significant proportion of women also reported experiencing physical and sexual violence from their husbands, and a small proportion of women reported experiencing physical violence from their mothers-in-law. The study's implications for practice and future research on issues of wife abuse in Tajikistan are discussed.