ABSTRACT
It is almost common sense to say that wife abuse is a cultural problem and that cultural change is needed to eradicate this form of violence. However, this does not translate into the way scientifi c research in the area has been conducted. In fact, wife abuse research has for many years been dominated by prevalence and impact studies in which cultural dimensions are, at best, superfi cially debated. At the theoretical level, although cultural factors are always mentioned when debating risk factors for violence, the focus has been on the family and individual factors that facilitate intimate violence.
