Domestic violence against Mexican teenagers

OBJECTIVE: To assess students' perception of domestic violence. METHODS: The study was carried out in a random sample representative (n=5,982) of high-school students aged between 13 and 19 years in Chiapas and San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in 2003. The students answered a self-administered questionnaire on sexual education, sexuality, pregnancy and risk behavior, and domestic violence. Considering the effects of the sample design, a logistic regression analysis was carried out in order to verify the association between socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and risk of domestic violence. RESULTS: The multivariate statistical analysis confirmed that female students are more vulnerable to domestic violence in both states studied (Chiapas: OR=1.87, p=0.01; San Luis: OR=1.53, p=0.00). Moreover, alcohol (Chiapas: OR=2.52, p=0.00; San Luis: OR=1.93, p=0.00) or drug use (Chiapas: OR=2.27, p=0.02; San Luis: OR=1.82, p=0.01) were the two most significant variables for students exposure to domestic violence. The association between alcohol consumption and student's age increases the risk of violence. The youngest students had 51% (Chiapas) and 73% (San Luis) more risk of experience violence by a relative than older students. CONCLUSIONS: Teenagers remain one of the most vulnerable population groups to domestic violence due to their physical, affective, economic and social dependence on other adults. The study was one of the first attempts to measure domestic violence against students.     

Domestic violence against women during pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of domestic violence (DV) against women during pregnancy and to identify risk factors for DV and effects on women's mental health. METHODS: Pregnant women from an OB-GYN outpatient clinic at a hospital in an urban area were recruited consecutively from February to May 2003. Women who agreed to participate in the research answered three self-administered questionnaires: the GHQ30, the Rosenberg Self Esteem, and one for demographic characteristics at 14 gestational weeks. In order to determine DV prevalence rate during pregnancy, the Japanese version of the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA) for measuring severity of DV was provided to those women over 35 gestational weeks. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy nine women answered all questionnaires. 15 of the 279 respondents (5.4%) were DV positive during pregnancy based on the Japanese version of the ISA. Nine had experienced physical violence, and twelve had non-physical violence Compared with women who had not experienced DV during pregnancy, DV positive pregnant women were more likely to be multipara (OR = 3.9) and to have experienced physical violence in the past from a different partner (OR = 9.1). Moreover, general illness (OR = 3.8), sleep disturbance (OR = 5.8), anxiety (OR = 6.3), depression (OR = 11.5) and low self-esteem (P = 0.02) were identified as effects of DV on women's mental health. CONCLUSION: Some 5.4% of women in Japan, approximately 1 in every 20, may experience DV during pregnancy. This is associated with parity and a past history of DV as demographic characteristics, and has an adverse impact on mental health, especially depression. Development of a support system for screening, intervention and referral for DV sufferers is urgently needed.     

Domestic violence in rural Uganda: evidence from a community-based study

Although domestic violence is an increasing public health concern in developing countries, evidence from representative, community-based studies is limited. In a survey of 5109 women of reproductive age in the Rakai District of Uganda, 30% of women had experienced physical threats or physical abuse from their current partner--20% during the year before the survey. Three of five women who reported recent physical threats or abuse reported three or more specific acts of violence during the preceding year, and just under a half reported injuries as a result. Analysis of risk factors highlights the pivotal roles of the male partner's alcohol consumption and his perceived human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk in increasing the risk of male against female domestic violence. Most respondents--70% of men and 90% of women--viewed beating of the wife or female partner as justifiable in some circumstances, posing a central challenge to preventing violence in such settings.     

Domestic violence against women seeking induced abortion in China

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence, type and severity of domestic violence (DV), and determine the factors related to DV among women seeking induced abortion in China. A total of 1215 women seeking induced abortion were interviewed. The results show that the prevalence of DV among participants was 22.6%. The violence included 18.1% sexual abuse, 7.8% physical abuse and 3.0% emotional abuse. Among abused women, 46 (16.8%) experienced violence frequently; 4.4% experienced three types of violence (sexual, physical and emotional violence). The number of times of having induced abortion in the abused group was significantly higher than that in the nonabused group (p<.001). There is statistically significant association between the occurrence of DV and relevant factors including fear of partner, quarreling with partner, partner's economic control, receiving the cold shoulder from partner (p<.001, OR 1.8-2.5).     

Domestic violence: a tragedy behind the doors

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prevalence, type, frequency and causes of domestic marital violence among Turkish women in a socio-economically developed metropolitan setting. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 2003. All married women, aged 18 years and over, who were visiting any of the 50 primary health care units for different purposes were asked to participate in the study. Of 1427 asked, 1010 gave consent and completed face-to-face interviews. Multiple correspondence analysis, and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Domestic violence was statistically significantly associated with educational level. Illiterate women reported marital abuse 2.6 times more than university or more educated women. No statistically significant relationship was observed between domestic marital violence and women's age or occupation, marital duration or family income. The most frequently reported type of violence was physical, followed by psychological. Among women reporting domestic violence, those with the lowest educational level and income were experiencing all types of domestic violence frequently. CONCLUSION: Placing more importance on educating girls could be a key component of preventing domestic violence.     

中国北方城市妇女妊娠前、妊娠期及产后家庭暴力的调查

目的 探讨妊娠前、妊娠期及产后针对妇女的家庭暴力发生的现况以及相关的影响因素。方法 在天津市、河南省、辽宁省以及陕西省，采用分层整群抽样及面对面调查的方法，选择32个区，对有6～18月龄小儿的妇女进行调查，以了解她们妊娠前、妊娠期和产后家庭暴力的情况。采用SPSS软件进行分析。结果 中国北方部分地区妊娠前、妊娠期和产后家庭暴力总的发生率为12．6％，其中性暴力的发生率最高(8．0％)，心理暴力的发生率最低(3．5％)，躯体暴力发生率居中(5．6％)。妊娠前、妊娠期和产后家庭暴力的发生率分别为9．1％、4．3％和8．3％。进一步分析显示妊娠前发生家庭暴力则预示着妊娠期、产后很可能发生家庭暴力。单因素分析发现与家庭暴力相关的因素有：妇女和配偶的受教育程度低、结婚时间长、体力劳动者、个人月收入低、吸烟、饮酒。还发现妇女见到周围有人挨丈夫打的及夫妻关系不好者，发生家庭暴力的可能性大。结论 中国北方城市家庭暴力的发生率较高，应该引起足够的重视。对医务人员进行广泛深入的培训，以增强他们对家庭暴力的认识和反应，以及了解如何进行筛查和管理家庭暴力案例。     

Domestic violence against women in Egypt--wife beating and health outcomes

Research has consistently demonstrated that a woman is more likely to be abused by an intimate partner than by any other person. Many negative health consequences to the victims have been associated with domestic violence against women. Data from the 1995 Egyptian Demographic and Health Survey, a nationally representative household survey, were analyzed for 6566 currently married women age 15-49 who responded to both the main questionnaire and a special module on women's status. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the association of ever-beating, beating in past year or frequency of beatings in past year with contraceptive use, pregnancy management, and report of health problems. Thirty-four percent of women in the sample were ever beaten by their current husband while 16% were beaten in the past year. Ever-beaten women were more likely to report health problems necessitating medical attention as were women beaten in the past year compared to never-beaten women. Regarding reproductive health, higher frequency of beating was associated with non-use of a female contraceptive method, while ante-natal care (ANC) by a health professional for the most recent baby born in the past year was less likely among ever-beaten women (OR = 0.17, p < 0.05). Unexpectedly, among professional ANC patients, those ever-abused were more likely to make four or more visits (OR = 36.54, p < 0.05). In Egypt as elsewhere around the world, wife beating is related to various negative health outcomes. Women's programmes must take domestic violence into account if they want to better address the needs of a non-negligible proportion of their target population.     

Domestic violence against women in India: A systematic review of a decade of quantitative studies

Domestic violence (DV) is prevalent among women in India and has been associated with poor mental and physical health. We performed a systematic review of 137 quantitative studies published in the prior decade that directly evaluated the DV experiences of Indian women to summarise the breadth of recent work and identify gaps in the literature. Among studies surveying at least two forms of abuse, a median 41% of women reported experiencing DV during their lifetime and 30% in the past year. We noted substantial inter-study variance in DV prevalence estimates, attributable in part to different study populations and settings, but also to a lack of standardisation, validation, and cultural adaptation of DV survey instruments. There was paucity of studies evaluating the DV experiences of women over age 50, residing in live-in relationships, same-sex relationships, tribal villages, and of women from the northern regions of India. Additionally, our review highlighted a gap in research evaluating the impact of DV on physical health. We conclude with a research agenda calling for additional qualitative and longitudinal quantitative studies to explore the DV correlates proposed by this quantitative literature to inform the development of a culturally tailored DV scale and prevention strategies.     

计划生育政策以来的独生子女数量及家庭结构分析

  目的  比较湖南省工业地区2002和2012年独子家庭与多子家庭暴力发生情况,为家庭暴力的干预措施提供参考依据。  方法  分别于2001 — 2002年和2011 — 2012年采用分层随机抽样方法在湖南省工业地区湘潭某大型国有企业抽取100户暴力家庭,对抽取暴力家庭中的施暴者和受虐者174人（独子家庭128人、多子家庭46人）和125人（独子家庭95人、多子家庭30人）进行家庭暴力问卷调查,比较独子家庭与多子家庭暴力发生情况。  结果  2002和2012年独子家庭与多子家庭暴力发生的首位诱发因素均为子女教育问题（2002年：60.9 % vs 73.9 %,2012年：70.5 % vs 60.0 %）,最常见的暴力形式均为羞辱谩骂（2002年：85.9 % vs 97.8 %,2012年：90.5 % vs 93.3 %）,独子家庭与多子家庭暴力发生的首位诱发因素和最常见的暴力形式差异均无统计学意义（均P > 0.012 5）。2012年独子家庭受虐者受到精神损伤和躯体损伤的比例分别为40.0 %和21.1 %,均高于2002年的15.6 %和3.1 %;2012年多子家庭受虐者受到精神损伤的比例为60.0 %,高于2002年的13.0 %,差异均有统计学意义（均P < 0.012 5）。2002和2012年独子家庭认可家庭暴力的比例分别为62.5 %和48.4 %,多子家庭认可家庭暴力的比例分别为60.9 %和60.0 %,差异均无统计学意义（均P > 0.012 5）。  结论  子女教育问题是诱发独子家庭与多子家庭暴力的首要因素,精神暴力是独子家庭与多子家庭暴力最常见的形式,2012年的独子家庭与多子家庭受虐者较2002年受到更多的精神损伤。     

Domestic violence as a health issue

This issue of the National Women's Health Report focuses on violence against women, specifically violence in the household. It contains four main articles namely: domestic violence as a health issue; facts and fallacies of domestic violence; physical assessment of battered women; and awareness of domestic violence. The first article discusses the formal recognition of domestic violence as a public health issue and various measures taken to reduce its incidence. Such strategies include establishing hospital protocols for victims of abuse and increasing awareness on battering in the nursing profession. The second article briefly describes the Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is held every October. The third article talks about certain facts on domestic violence. It points out how patterns of abuse occur within the family and describes certain actions to protect the future generation from domestic violence. Insights into the physical assessment of battered women were provided in the fourth article. A follow-up report on the one-day conference titled "Violence Against Women" was also presented.     

Domestic violence and help-seeking behaviors among rural women: results from a shelter-based study

Research on domestic violence and help-seeking behaviors of women living in rural communities has been limited. This study adds to existing knowledge by examining this type of violence along with mental health characteristics and related help-seeking behaviors of a sample of predominantly Hispanic women seeking shelter at a rural domestic violence shelter. Study participants experienced physical, verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse, harassment, stalking, and abuse with a weapon in their current intimate relationship. Twenty-four percent of study participants of Hispanic backgrounds and 10% of participants from all other racial/ethnic groups reported experiencing all types of abuse listed above. When compared with other study participants, a greater percentage of Hispanic participants indicated that they had thought of and/or attempted suicide. Participants' help-seeking behaviors from formal support systems suggest a mismatch between the types of abuse experienced and the resultant help-seeking behaviors they used. These help-seeking behaviors also indicate the relevance of mental health characteristics (e.g., suicide ideation) in these behaviors. These and findings from other studies may provide the impetus for a systematic documentation of domestic violence and help-seeking behaviors of women living in rural communities.     

Domestic violence: screening made practical

Physicians should routinely screen women for domestic violence. Although the US Domestic Task Force considers the evidence for or against specific instruments insufficient, the recommendation to include questions about physical abuse may be made on other grounds, such as the high prevalence of undetected abuse among women patients, the potential value of this information in helping such patients, and the low cost and low risk of screening. Offer abused patients information about community resources and advocates. Advocacy and connections with community agencies have proven helpful (in a randomized controlled trial) in improving quality of life and preventing violence-related injuries.     

Domestic violence: the Lebanese experience

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of domestic violence among women presenting to primary health care facilities in Lebanon; to identify presenting symptoms and responses to varied forms of violence; and to examine variables associated with domestic violence. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of all women presenting to four primary health care centres in different geographic areas of Lebanon from September 2002 to October 2002. A questionnaire was administered in interview format. The following information was collected from participants: demographic characteristics, perceived health status, prior exposure and responses to domestic violence, and characteristics of the perpetrators. RESULTS: Of the 1418 participants, 494 (35%) reported experiencing domestic violence and 307 (22%) had family members who had been exposed to domestic violence. Among the women exposed to violence, verbal abuse or insult was most common (88%) followed by physical violence (66%); 57% reported their experiences to family, friends or authorities, whereas the remainder kept silent. Women who were exposed to domestic violence had higher frequencies of reported physical symptoms than those who were not exposed. Generally, the perpetrators were spouses who had demographic backgrounds comparable to their wives. Multiple regression analyses showed that women's education levels, work status, health status, and familial violence predicted domestic violence. CONCLUSIONS: Women readily talk about their abuse when asked. The rate of domestic violence is high among Lebanese women and is a significant health issue. Additional research is needed to better understand the extent of the problem and to develop more effective reporting methods.     

Physical violence against Brazilian children and adolescents: a 4-year study

Objective

To investigate and compare differences in physical aggression among children and adolescents.

Subjects and methods

A cross-sectional study of victims of violence by physical aggression was conducted in a Forensic Unit that attends such victims. Reports of violence containing complete information were gathered for 164 children and 788 adolescents. Data were collected from the information contained in these reports.

Results

The results of the multivariate logistic regression model analysis indicated that five of the nine factors investigated showed a statistically significant association with children or adolescents. Female children were more likely to be associated with cases of violence [OR: 2.90, 95 % CI (1.88, 4.44)] in the domestic environment [OR: 6.55, 95 % CI (4.37, 9.82)]. Among adolescents, boys were more likely to be involved, and group violence was more frequent. The injuries sustained by both children and adolescents affected more than one body area. Separately, the head and face were the most affected.

Conclusion

Differences were encountered between the factors investigated for children and adolescents, emphasizing the complexity of the issue in the juvenile age group. Efforts to combat and prevent violence require specific guidelines for both children and adolescents. There is also a need to develop qualitative approaches that foster an understanding of this issue from a new perspective.

     

Domestic violence and diversity: a call for multucultural services

Domestic violence is a pervasive problem in virtually all countries, cultures, ethnic and racial groups, and social classes. A review of the literature indicates that in the vast scholarship on violence against women in intimate relationships, minimal attention has been given to experiences of ethnic minorities. Consequently, although there have been significant gains in providing criminal justice and social services initiatives to victims of domestic violence, many victims of intimate violence who are ethnic minorities underutilize the interventions and services available in part because their help-seeking behaviors differ from those of the dominant culture. As such, this paper provides an overview of some of the cultural barriers that may hinder the effectiveness as well as limit the amount of intervention and social services available for some of the most vulnerable victims of intimate violence. This paper concludes with recommendations that agencies as well as individual service providers can employ to increase their multicultural competency.