Shanghainese women might be known for controlling the household, but new evidence shows more men are becoming victims of domestic abuse and even violence in the mainland's commercial hub.
The government-funded Women's Legal Aid Hotline received more than 600 complaints about domestic violence in Shanghai last year. Although the line was originally set up for women, officials said many men were appealing for help and the violence was not limited to low-income couples.
'Women are financially independent and have higher social status in Shanghai. The phenomenon of women bullying their husbands is rising,' said an official with the Shanghai Women's Association, who declined to be named.
Professor Zhang Xianyu , of the East China University of Politics and Law, has worked as a counsellor since June and said he did not expect men to be calling or coming into the hotline's office. Most male victims ran into trouble because they were 'not as capable as their wives' in earning a living, he said.
'Men suffering domestic violence are more helpless as they feel ashamed telling relatives and friends,' Professor Zhang said.
Last year, 18.6 per cent of families in Shanghai experienced domestic violence at some level, according to local media. The proportion of women beating men was increasing, the reports said.
