Attitudes of Palestinians Toward Social Work Interventions in Cases of Wife Assault.

The study examined the attitudes of Palestinian adults toward social work interventions in cases of husband-to-wife assault (HWA). A survey, using self-administered questionnaires and interviews, was conducted among a random sample of 624 adults from the Palestinian Authority. Results indicate higher levels of support for interventions aimed at helping the couple solve their problems than for interventions aimed at protecting the safety of battered women. However, this trend becomes reversed in cases of repeated and severe HWA. Greater support for interventions aimed at protecting the safety of battered women was found among women versus men and younger versus older adults, as well as among individuals with lower levels of justifying wife abuse and more egalitarian expectations of marriage.