Beijing Women's Federation

The Anti-Domestic Violence Law of the People’s Republic of China has been in effect for a decade, guiding a profound shift in social awareness from “domestic violence is a family matter” to “zero tolerance.” This has led to historic progress in safeguarding the personal dignity and safety of family members. However, the global fight against domestic violence still faces structural challenges, reminding China of the need to continue improving its legal framework in this area. President Xi Jinping pointed out in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women: “We will improve anti-violence mechanisms and resolutely combat all forms of violence against women.” This statement has charted the course for China’s next step in combating domestic violence.

■ Qi Jianjian

The Anti-Domestic Violence Law of the People’s Republic of China has been in effect for ten years. This landmark legislation, adopted on December 27, 2015, and implemented on March 1, 2016, represents an important achievement in adapting Marxist theory on women to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. It marks a major step forward in the development of the rule of law for human rights in China and serves as a vivid example of the legal system for protecting women’s rights and interests in the new era. It has contributed a “Chinese solution” to the global fight against domestic violence. Over the past decade, China has established a legal system against domestic violence with the Anti-Domestic Violence Law at its core, guiding a profound shift in social perceptions from “domestic violence is a family matter” to “zero tolerance.” This has led to historic progress in safeguarding the personal dignity and safety of family members.

As the Anti-Domestic Violence Law marks its 10th anniversary, it is important to review its development and effectiveness systematically. This helps deepen our understanding of domestic violence—its severe social harm and persistent nature—from a global perspective. It is of great theoretical and practical significance for advancing innovation in both theory and practice in combating domestic violence, as well as for promoting gender equality and the rule of law for human rights in the context of Chinese modernization.

China’s legislation and implementation against domestic violence have achieved remarkable results.

Over the past decade, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have incorporated anti-domestic violence into key documents such as the 14th Five-Year Plan, the National Human Rights Action Plan, and the National Program for Women's and Children’s Development, providing strong political guidance. Anti-domestic violence provisions have been incorporated into more than a dozen existing laws, including the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Family Education Promotion, and the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China. These provisions extend across political, economic, social, cultural, and everyday life, serving as foundational norms for the rule of law, social progress, and the well-being of the people.

Relevant government departments, judicial organs, people’s organizations, and social organizations work together to fulfill their responsibilities in preventing and addressing domestic violence in accordance with the law. The National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council and the All-China Women’s Federation, together with their local counterparts, coordinate, guide, and supervise anti-domestic violence efforts.

In 2020, nine departments, including the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the All-China Women's Federation, jointly issued the Opinions on Establishing a Mandatory Reporting System for Cases Involving the Infringement of Minors (Trial). In 2022, seven departments, including the Supreme People’s Court and the All-China Women’s Federation, released the Provisions of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Cases Involving Personal Protection Orders. In 2024, nine departments, including the Ministry of Public Security, the All-China Women’s Federation, and the Office of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, jointly issued the Opinions on Strengthening the Implementation of the Domestic Violence Admonition System.

Key mechanisms established under the Anti-Domestic Violence Law—such as personal protection orders, admonition letters, mandatory reporting, and temporary shelters—have been refined through judicial interpretations and departmental regulatory documents. From 2017 to 2025, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, with or without the All-China Women's Federation and other organizations, issued multiple batches of typical cases. These guided protecting victims (women and children) of domestic violence, and for cracking down on domestic violence-related crimes.

Additionally, 22 provincial-level regions have enacted specific local regulations on domestic violence and cracking down on related crimes. Overall, China has established a comprehensive, multi-layered legal framework against domestic violence, consisting of laws such as the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, judicial interpretations, local regulations, and departmental normative documents.

The multi-layered legal framework has upgraded the concept and system of anti-domestic violence. Building on the Anti-Domestic Violence Law’s explicit opposition to physical and mental violence, some local regulations and typical cases have expanded the definition of domestic violence to include sexual violence, economic violence, and digital violence, addressing issues such as sexual assault, stalking and harassment, economic control, deprivation of property, and harm committed through online means. Some local regulations and judicial documents incorporated domestic violence cases into the grid-based management systems, including the collection of incident statistics, data analysis, and information registration and sharing. These evolving provisions effectively respond to the social realities and judicial practice needs, providing precise legal and policy support for grassroots anti-domestic violence efforts.

Improving implementation data clearly demonstrates the growing effectiveness of the anti-domestic violence system. As of June 2025, courts nationwide have issued nearly 30,000 personal protection orders. The issuance rate increased from 52 percent in 2016 to 77.6 percent in 2022. In 2024, 6,351 such orders were issued, representing a year-on-year increase of 11.5 percent. Judicial authorities apply compulsory measures and the offense of refusing to comply with judgments or rulings to punish violations of protection orders, ensuring their effectiveness. Public security authorities have also issued increasing numbers of admonition letters, reaching approximately 98,000 in 2023.

Over the past decade, women’s awareness of their rights has significantly increased, and profound changes have taken place in social perceptions and law enforcement and judicial practices. Public education on anti-domestic violence, combined with typical cases, has further strengthened the public’s awareness of the rule of law and gender equality. “Domestic violence is not a private matter” and “victims should say ‘no’” have become widely accepted social norms. Victims are increasingly aware of using legal means to seek protection, with an increasing proportion of them actively reporting to the police, applying for protection orders, and seeking assistance from women's federations. The mandatory reporting obligations of schools, hospitals, and public authorities are being implemented extensively. According to the fourth Survey on the Social Status of Chinese Women in 2021, the proportion of women who experienced physical and psychological violence from their spouses fell to 8.6 percent, a decrease of 5.2 percentage points from 2010. These achievements fully demonstrate the effectiveness and strengths of China's approach to combating domestic violence.

Global efforts against domestic violence still face challenges.

The global fight against domestic violence continues to face structural challenges. The UN Women Strategic Plan for 2026–2029 reveals that among women aged 15 to 49, 12.5% experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner in 2025. An early 2026 report by the FBI indicates that, from 2020 to 2024, domestic violence accounted for 31% of serious crimes against persons. A report by the UK Office for National Statistics at the end of 2025 shows that approximately 12.5 million people aged 16 and above experienced domestic violence, accounting for 25.8% of the surveyed population. In 2024, around 3.8 million people aged 16 and above suffered from domestic violence, representing 7.8% of the population. Police recorded 1.35 million domestic violence cases, of which 816,000 were classified as crimes. Domestic violence offenses, including coercive control, malicious communication, and stalking, accounted for one-third of all personal injury crimes. In 2026, data released by Japan’s National Police Agency showed that the police received 98,289 domestic violence reports the previous year, marking the 22nd consecutive annual increase. Due to the hidden nature of domestic violence, police data reflects only the tip of the iceberg, and the actual scale worldwide is likely much higher.

More urgently, domestic violence carried out through digital networks is growing rapidly and taking diverse forms, including cyberstalking, deepfakes, AI-generated harmful content, and surveillance software. In 2024, the European Union adopted the Directive on Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, which explicitly requires addressing online and digital violence, such as non-consensual sharing of intimate images or videos, cyberstalking and harassment, the spread of hate speech, and incitement to violence. It also criminalizes certain forms of online violence and requires member states to transpose the directive into national law by 2027.

Although legislation and policies against domestic violence have become stricter and more criminalized worldwide in recent years, challenges such as low reporting rates, limited resources, and the compounded risks faced by women with disabilities and elderly women persist across countries. These global issues serve as a reminder that China must not slow its efforts and should continue to develop and improve its legal framework for combating domestic violence.

Future directions and priorities in China’s anti-domestic violence efforts

In response to the above global challenges, President Xi Jinping stated clearly in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women in Beijing on October 13, 2025: “We will improve anti-violence mechanisms and resolutely combat all forms of violence against women.” This statement provides clear guidance for China’s next steps in combating domestic violence.

First, efforts should focus on combating all forms of domestic violence. Several provinces in China, including Heilongjiang and Gansu, have taken the lead in incorporating sexual violence, economic control, stalking and harassment, cyber violence, and digital violence into the definition of domestic violence in local regulations. Such advanced local practices should be promoted nationwide.

Second, the criminal punishment mechanism should be improved to strengthen the deterrent effect of criminal law against domestic violence. Domestic violence is often concealed, and victims are often subjected to repeated and long-term abuse, resulting in more severe physical and psychological harm and greater societal consequences. In some serious domestic violence cases, the application of the crime of abuse has resulted in significantly more lenient sentences compared to the crime of intentional injury, leading to negative social repercussions. There still exists the phenomenon where some long-term and repeated acts of violence are difficult to prosecute as criminal offenses. This has, to some extent, undermined the authority and implementation of the Anti-Domestic Violence Law and the Civil Code. Besides, this does not agree with the rule of law and building a culture of family virtues in the new era. It is therefore recommended to revise the Criminal Law at a proper time, aligning the sentencing standards for the crime of abuse with those for intentional injury and increasing penalties accordingly. Additionally, there should be research concerning incorporating serious acts of psychological violence, sexual violence, economic violence, stalking and harassment, and online digital violence into the Criminal Law, thereby enhancing the deterrent effect of the law in scope and extent.

Third, equal emphasis should be placed on both assistance and correction. Greater efforts should be made to provide victims of domestic violence with legal aid, psychological rehabilitation, and economic and housing support, as well as to promote the use of restraining measures such as removal orders to address their concerns. It is also important to explore incorporating psychological counseling and behavioral correction for perpetrators of domestic violence into community corrections or court judgments. To this end, social organizations, enterprises, public institutions, and public welfare foundations should be encouraged to participate more actively in building a support network against domestic violence, ensuring that assistance and rehabilitation needs are met promptly and effectively, and ultimately breaking the cycle of violence at its root.

The ten years since the implementation of the Anti-Domestic Violence Law have marked a period of historic progress in the rule of law for human rights in China. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China is making steady progress in combating domestic violence, advancing toward the vision that “only when every family is happy can the country and the nation prosper.”

(The author is an associate research fellow at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.)