By Damian Grammaticas BBC correspondent in Hong Kong

Government figures released this week show that the number of men who have reported being battered by their wives has tripled in the past four years.

Chinese men didn't know how to relate with their wives with passionate feelings

Social worker Christine Chow

It is thought that a combination of social changes and Hong Kong's economic woes are the main causes.

The problem of husbands being battered by their wives is suddenly being taken seriously in Hong Kong.

In 1998, just 39 men reported being physically abused by their wives.

Last year, 179 men said they had been battered, the territory's social welfare department said.

Dominance challenged

In that time there's been a serious downturn in Hong Kong's economy.

People have taken to the streets to demand more jobs

Unemployment reached a record high of almost 8% last July.

It has put severe financial strain on many households.

Men are increasingly unable to support their wives and are seeing their dominant role in the household change.

The charity Caritas has set up a refuge specially for abused husbands.

Christine Chow, a social worker with the charity, says women in Chinese societies are becoming more independent and more assertive.

Many have been battered because their wives believe - or sometimes discover that - they are having extra-marital affairs

While in the past they might have expected their husband merely to provide financial support to bring up children, women now "recognise that they are not satisfied with this kind of marriage and they ask for more warm love from their husband".

"But Chinese men didn't know how to relate with their wives with passionate feelings. So the wife was dissatisfied and has become more suspicious", Christine Chow said.

Wife abuse

Many of the men have been battered because their wives believe - or sometimes discover that - they are having extra-marital affairs.

However, the problem of women being abused by their husbands is still far more common.

Over 2,000 women reported being battered last year and the incidence of wife abuse is rising just as fast as that of husband abuse.