Wife beating and cultural context: Prevalence in an Aboriginal and Islander community in Northern Australia

Wife beating is generally condemned in Western society, but may be viewed differently by other cultures. The frequency of battered women in a small urban Australian Aboriginal population was studied through reports of indigenous paraprofessional behavioral health workers of the community. The findings indicated battering was a regular, routine occurrence not only of women referred for mental health problems, but for women of the entire community. The practice seems to have its origin in tribal traditions and is supported by social sanctions, and there are social pressures for women to remain with the men who beat them. It is also currently related to alcohol ingestion and a pervasive jealously and suspicion usually existing between conjugal couples. Intervention strategies should be based on understanding of the cultural context in which the beatings occur.