ABSTRACT
Taiwanese society has been going through a huge transition in the past 50 years. Women are still the main victims of marital violence, and many of their children are also maltreated. Some women try to keep their marriage and family together, either believing it is their destiny or better for their children; others have learned how to look for help. Many Taiwanese parents believe they have the right to use corporal discipline on their children, and consider physical punishment an effective way of teaching children to “behave”—which means not only “to have good manners” but also “to reach the parents’ expectations” (especially to have high academic achievement). Taiwanese think taking care of elderly parents is the adults’ responsibility, so a certain percentage of elderly parents live with their children’s families. Sending elders to a nursing home is considered very similar to abandoning them. Conflict between the generations has finally become a common social phenomenon. Siblings might have conflicts, but most Taiwanese do not consider these problems as abuse within families. Other issues that can cause stress in Taiwanese families include culture shock for the wives from other southeast countries, conflicts between daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law, and the responsibility of the eldest son.
