Tolerance Revisited: The Case of Spousal Force

This work employs survey data to examine the specific social conditions that influence tolerance for the use of force against wives. The findings indicate that respondents have a very negative view of such force in all contexts but one: A husband's use of force is viewed as appropriate behavior when the wife's precipitating behavior poses a threat to the family. These results are contrasted with earlier work on parental force which documented a certain ambivalence regarding parents hitting children. The paper concludes by arguing that a distinction between perceptual and behavioral tolerance must be made in order to further advance the study of tolerance. The implications for relevant social policy are discussed.