A recent Cabinet Office survey has found that 32.9 percent of married women have experienced domestic abuse. This percentage has remained unchanged from the two previous surveys in 2005 and 2008, indicating that little help has been provided for the ongoing tragedy in one-third of Japanese households.
One-fourth of victims said they were punched, kicked or shoved by their husbands and 6 percent were assaulted repeatedly. Fourteen percent said they were forced to engage in sexual relations with their husband. Seventeen percent suffered psychological harassment such as verbal abuse, restrictions on going places or being constantly watched.
An astonishing 41.4 percent told no one about the situation and suffered alone. The reasons for accepting the abuse and not filing for divorce were for the sake of the children, 57 percent said, and because of economic worries, according to 18 percent.