About half the incidents occur on weekends. Most cases occur in the family home. The kitchen and master bedroom are the most dangerous rooms. Of the 107 reported murders in immediate families in Canada in 1975, the wife was killed by the husband in 49 cases. The husband was killed by the wife in 8.
Some wives do abuse their husbands.
Some relationships are characterized by mutual violence. In these families, violence can erupt at any time, initiated by husband, wife, or other family memebers. In many cases of husband assault, wives are striking back after years of being abused by their husbands. In 2500 B.C., if a wife talked back to her husband he could engrave her name on a brick and use the brick to hit her. In the middle ages, church and state accepted that wives and children were the property of the husband and father.