Analysis of the descriptive characteristics of female victims of violence applying to the domestic violence office of a court of law

Abstract

Introduction and PurposeIntimate partner violence is a worldwide problem violating fundamental human rights. The aim of this study was to analyse the sociodemographic characteristics of women who have experienced intimate partner violence, the type and prevalence of violence, the mechanisms of injury as determined by forensic reports, the characteristics of the perpetrator, and the women's statements. Materials and methodsThis was a single-site descriptive study conducted at the Office of Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women of a Court of Law located in the city of Izmir in western Turkey. The researchers reviewed forensic medicine case reports and prosecutorial writs in this office's files for women over 18 who had experienced violence over the period 2016–2019. The study sample consisted of the judicial application files of women who had experienced intimate partner violence and met the inclusion criteria (n = 350). The data in the files were entered into a standard form prepared by the researchers according to the file content. Written permission was obtained from the Ministry of Justice and Ege University Ethics Committee, and the verbal consent of the Prosecuting Officer was also obtained for the research. ResultsThe ages of the women ranged from 19 to 80 years (mean age 35, SD 9.6), with 43.1% ranging from 30 to 39 years old. Of the women, 46.6% had a maximum primary school education, and 65.4% were homemakers. Incidents of intimate partner violence mainly occurred at home for 89.1% of women. A combination of verbal and physical violence was the most frequent form of violence affecting 303 women (83.4% of cases). The facial area was predominantly the target of attack for 59 (16.9%) victims, only the upper extremity for 55 (15.7%) and the face and upper extremity for 36 (10.2%) women. The statements of the victims of violence who described their experience were evaluated, and it was determined that the reasons for the emergence of violence were frequently alcohol and substance use, financial problems, jealousy, sexual problems, communication problems, and cheating. Conclusion and SuggestionsMost of the women in the study who had applied to law enforcement due to intimate partner violence were victims of physical violence. The descriptive information obtained from these files constitutes essential data for health professionals in their efforts to deliver primary healthcare to women who are victims of intimate partner violence. Health professionals can provide immediate protection by identifying women at high risk of violence, monitoring them more frequently, and activating the support mechanisms they need.