‘There are too many women with love brains’: Domestic Violence and Victim Blaming in China

Miao, Lihan; Westmarland, Nicole

Abstract

While there exists increasing awareness and legal remedies in relation to domestic violence in China, victim-blaming still exists - especially in online discourse. This research investigated public reactions to domestic violence in China, using comments made by women on Weibo - China's largest social media platform. Thematic analysis was used to analyse 500 comments related to four extremely high-profile domestic violence cases. The analysis reveals that victim-blaming is manifested in six overlapping ways, blaming victims for: 1) choosing the wrong partner, 2) not resisting abuse, 3) failing to leave the relationship, 4) having 'weak personalities', 5) lacking rationality, dignity, and self-love, and 6) being overly influenced by love – known as 'love brain'. The findings not only shed light on the complexities of victim-blaming on social media in China but also illustrate the ongoing clash between modern feminist thought and entrenched patriarchal values within contemporary Chinese culture.

Citation

Miao, L., & Westmarland, N. (online). ‘There are too many women with love brains’: Domestic Violence and Victim Blaming in China. Journal of Gender-Based Violence, https://doi.org/10.1332/23986808Y2025D000000073

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 25, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 7, 2025
• Deposit Date: Feb 3, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Gender-Based Violence
• Print ISSN: 2398-6808
• Electronic ISSN: 2398-6816
• Publisher: Bristol University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1332/23986808Y2025D000000073
• Keywords: Domestic violence and abuse; victim-blaming; social media; Chinese culture
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3466231