Objective  To compare domestic violence (DV) incidence in single- and multi-child families in 2002 and 2012 among the employees in a large enterprise in Hunan province and to provide references for interventions on DV.

  Methods  Using stratified random sampling, we selected 100 families with DV for a survey during 2001 – 2002 and another 100 families for a survey during 2011 – 2012 among the employees in a large state-owned enterprise in Xiangtan city of Hunan province. A self-designed questionnaire on DV and its related factors was administered to 174 perpetrators and victims in the selected families (128 and 46 in single- and multi-child families) in 2001 – 02 survey and 125 perpetrators and victims (95 and 30 in single- and multi-child families) in 2011 – 12 survey, respectively. The incidence of DV in the single- and multi-child families were analyzed and compared.

  Results  The leading precipitating factor of DV was child′s education and the most common form of DV was verbal abuse reported by the respondents. There were no significant differences in the reported proportions of leading precipitating factor (2001 – 02: 60.9% vs. 73.9%, 2001 – 12: 70.5% vs. 60.0%) and the most violence form (2001 – 02: 85.9% vs. 97.8%, 2001 – 12: 90.5% vs. 93.3%) between the respondents in single- and multi-child families (all P > 0.012 5). Compared to those in 2001 – 02, significantly higher proportions of victims in single-child families reported DV-related mental injury (40.0% vs. 15.6%) and physical injury (21.1% vs. 3.1%) in 2011 – 12 (both P < 0.012 5). The victims of multi-child families reported a significantly higher proportion of DV-related mental injury in 2011 – 12 than in 2001 – 02 (60.0% vs. 13.0%, χ² = 18.530; P < 0.012 5). There were no significant between-group and between-year differences in the proportion of the respondents reporting tolerant attitude toward DV (between 2001 – 02 and 2011 – 12: 62.5% vs. 48.4% for respondents of single-child families and 60.9% vs. 60.0% for those of multi-child families) (all P > 0.012 5).

  Conclusion  For the families surveyed, child′s education was a leading precipitating factor and psychological abuse was the most common form of domestic violence in both single- and multi-child families; the victims of domestic violence suffered more mental injury in 2012 than in 2002.