Marital Violence in Great Britain and its Relationship to Marital and Non-Marital Rape

Abstract

The National Survey of Wives in Great Britain was carried out to estimate the prevalence of violence by husbands against wives and the prevalence of rape of wives inside and outside marriage. A quota sample of 1,007 wives, drawn from each of the 10 standard regions of Great Britain, were interviewed. The results showed that 28% of wives had been hit by their husband, while 13% had sexual intercourse with their husband against their will. Lower class wives, and separated or divorced wives, were particularly likely to have been assaulted. The assaulted wives were disproportionally likely also to have been raped. Also, 13% of wives had been forced to have sex by someone other than their husband, and altogether 22% had been raped inside or outside marriage.