Domestic Violence as a Factor in DivorceViolence is unacceptable in any family relationship. Efforts to strengthen relationships must reinforce the idea that violence has no place in marriage or between adults and children. Because of this it is important to understand the role respondents thought violence played in their divorces. The results of previous research suggest that when persons who have ever been divorced are asked to give major reasons for their divorces, a substantial percentage of the women indicate violence while only a very small proportion of men do. For instance, the percentages from the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative Baseline Survey mentioned earlier are 44% and 7%, respectively, for women and men, and from the National Fatherhood Initiative National Marriage Survey they are 42% and 9%. These findings are dramatic and disturbing, but research suggests that couples who are married are less likely to report a violent relationship than are those who are not married. Clearly the results of the survey indicate that men and women tend to have different views of any violence that has occurred in their marriages. They also indicate a level of interpersonal violence that may be of concern to persons interested in promoting healthy marriages. Harris, S.M., Glenn, N.D, Rappleyea, D.L., Diaz-Loving, R., Hawkins, A.J., Daire, A. P., Osborne, C., & Huston, T.L. (2008). Twogether in Texas: Baseline Report on Marriage in the Lone Star State. Austin, TX: Health and Human Services Commission.
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