Downloaded from http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/ on June 18, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
PostScript
CORRESPONDENCE
Informal social control and intimate partner violence Emery et al1 have conducted an important study to evaluate the protective effects of informal social control on intimate partner violence (IPV). They hypothesised that in China, where IPV prevalence is high and the formal social control of IPV is poor, informal social control might reduce IPV injuries and IPV. As indicated in their results, the acts of informal social control were associated with significantly less IPV injuries, but not the greater occurrence of IPV. Authors made their hypothesis based on American literature that indicated a significant association between informal social control and low crime and homicide rates.2 However, when they made their hypothesis, the authors might have missed one important point. That is, for crimes and homicides, strict formal social control is also available in the USA; the law prosecutes the perpetrators with heavy penalties.3 In China, however, police is not required to act against IPV unless it injures the victims.1 Chinese society justifies IPV to preserve husbands’ authority, but does not justify injuring wives.1 4 Under such a situation, only the informal social control might not prevent IPV. It can contribute to prevent IPV injuries in the light of social disapproval for such severe violence and the state sanctions against it. Proving this, the authors indicated that IPV prevalence was high in Hutong
70
neighbourhoods in China than in apartments; Hutongs had high level of family community integration and informal social control than apartments.1 However, IPV injury rate was significantly lower in Hutongs.1 This could have been because Hutong residents have not intervened to protect wives from IPV unless the violence was severe enough to injure them. To prevent IPV and IPV related injuries effectively, communities might need the formal and informal social control measures against the acts of IPV.
Inj Prev 2015;21:70. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041421
Achini Jayatilleke,1 Achala Jayatilleke,2 Masamine Jimba,1 Junko Yasuoka1
4
1
Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan 2 Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka Correspondence to Dr Junko Yasuoka, Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; jyasuoka@post. harvard.edu Competing interests None. Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.
To cite Jayatilleke A, Jayatilleke A, Jimba M, et al. Inj Prev 2015;21:70. Published Online First 17 October 2014
▸ http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041117
Inj Prev February 2015 Vol 21 No 1
REFERENCES 1
2
3
Emery CR, Wu S, Raghavan R. Why are Hutong residents better protected from intimate partner violence injury? Informal social control and community life in Beijing. Inj Prev Published Online First: 2 Sep 2014. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2013-041117. Sampson RJ, Raudenbush SW, Earls F. Neighborhoods and violent crime: a multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science 1997;277:918–24. Geberth VJ. Practical Homicide investigation: tactics, procedures, and forensic techniques. 4th edn. New York, USA: Elsevier Publications, 2006:999. Xu X, Zhu F, O’Campo P, et al. Prevalence of and risk factors for intimate partner violence in China. Am J Public Health 2005;95:78–85.
Downloaded from http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/ on June 18, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Informal social control and intimate partner violence Achini Jayatilleke, Achala Jayatilleke, Masamine Jimba and Junko Yasuoka Inj Prev 2015 21: 70 originally published online October 16, 2014
doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041421 Updated information and services can be found at: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/21/1/70.2
These include:
References Email alerting service
This article cites 2 articles, 1 of which you can access for free at: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/21/1/70.2#BIBL Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
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To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
PostScript
CORRESPONDENCE
Informal social control and intimate partner violence Emery et al1 have conducted an important study to evaluate the protective effects of informal social control on intimate partner violence (IPV). They hypothesised that in China, where IPV prevalence is high and the formal social control of IPV is poor, informal social control might reduce IPV injuries and IPV. As indicated in their results, the acts of informal social control were associated with significantly less IPV injuries, but not the greater occurrence of IPV. Authors made their hypothesis based on American literature that indicated a significant association between informal social control and low crime and homicide rates.2 However, when they made their hypothesis, the authors might have missed one important point. That is, for crimes and homicides, strict formal social control is also available in the USA; the law prosecutes the perpetrators with heavy penalties.3 In China, however, police is not required to act against IPV unless it injures the victims.1 Chinese society justifies IPV to preserve husbands’ authority, but does not justify injuring wives.1 4 Under such a situation, only the informal social control might not prevent IPV. It can contribute to prevent IPV injuries in the light of social disapproval for such severe violence and the state sanctions against it. Proving this, the authors indicated that IPV prevalence was high in Hutong
70
neighbourhoods in China than in apartments; Hutongs had high level of family community integration and informal social control than apartments.1 However, IPV injury rate was significantly lower in Hutongs.1 This could have been because Hutong residents have not intervened to protect wives from IPV unless the violence was severe enough to injure them. To prevent IPV and IPV related injuries effectively, communities might need the formal and informal social control measures against the acts of IPV.
Inj Prev 2015;21:70. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041421
Achini Jayatilleke,1 Achala Jayatilleke,2 Masamine Jimba,1 Junko Yasuoka1
4
1
Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan 2 Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka Correspondence to Dr Junko Yasuoka, Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; jyasuoka@post. harvard.edu Competing interests None. Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.
To cite Jayatilleke A, Jayatilleke A, Jimba M, et al. Inj Prev 2015;21:70. Published Online First 17 October 2014
▸ http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041117
Inj Prev February 2015 Vol 21 No 1
REFERENCES 1
2
3
Emery CR, Wu S, Raghavan R. Why are Hutong residents better protected from intimate partner violence injury? Informal social control and community life in Beijing. Inj Prev Published Online First: 2 Sep 2014. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2013-041117. Sampson RJ, Raudenbush SW, Earls F. Neighborhoods and violent crime: a multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science 1997;277:918–24. Geberth VJ. Practical Homicide investigation: tactics, procedures, and forensic techniques. 4th edn. New York, USA: Elsevier Publications, 2006:999. Xu X, Zhu F, O’Campo P, et al. Prevalence of and risk factors for intimate partner violence in China. Am J Public Health 2005;95:78–85.
Downloaded from http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/ on June 18, 2015 - Published by group.bmj.com
Informal social control and intimate partner violence Achini Jayatilleke, Achala Jayatilleke, Masamine Jimba and Junko Yasuoka Inj Prev 2015 21: 70 originally published online October 16, 2014
doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041421 Updated information and services can be found at: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/21/1/70.2
These include:
References Email alerting service
This article cites 2 articles, 1 of which you can access for free at: http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/21/1/70.2#BIBL Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article.
Notes
To request permissions go to: http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions To order reprints go to: http://journals.bmj.com/cgi/reprintform To subscribe to BMJ go to: http://group.bmj.com/subscribe/
