Empirical Analysis on Potential Risk Factors for Domestic Violence against Women in Ethiopia

Background:Violence against women is a universal phenomenon that persists in all communities and in all countries of the world and the perpetrator of that violence is often well-known to the victim. Domestic violence in particular continues to be frighteningly common and well-accepted as “normal” within too many societies.Objectives:(1) The primary aim of this study is to find out the extent of different type of domestic violence and to identify various risk factors for domestic violence against married women. (2) The secondary aim is to identify the various protective factors of domestic violence against married women.Materials and Methods:The present study was a population based cross-sectional study carried out in the urban area of Gwalior city for a period of one year. Stratified random sampling technique was used for the selection of the samples. The study participants were interviewed using a pretested semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. Proportion, Pearson's, chi-square test and odds ratio were calculated for the analysis of the study.Result:Of the 144 study participants, 68 participants reported some form of domestic violence, which was either physical, sexual or emotional. The most common type of violence reported was physical violence. The most important risk factor for domestic violence was alcoholism followed by literacy status. Majority of the abused women were dependent on their husbands for money, material assets and expenditure.Conclusion:The study hereby recommends that to prevent domestic violence government has to take stringent action for making women more self-reliant especially by making the women more literate and more financially independent.

ABSTRACT
 
 Domestic violence during pregnancy is a neglected & underreported problem having grave consequences. The world health organization (WHO) defines domestic violence as “the range of sexually, psychologically and physically coercive acts used against adult and adolescent women by current or former male intimate partners”. Physical & verbal abuse during pregnancy is a frequent phenomenon encountered by women of both developed and underdeveloped country, belonging to all cultural communities. There is a strong evidence that domestic violence is related to maternal mental health disorders. The aim of this literature study is to find the best available research evidence on risk factors of domestic violence in pregnancy and its correlation to mental health disorders.
 To achieve the goal of this study, researcher searched for all studies published between January 2010 until August 2021 using the databases such as google scholar and PubMed. The inclusion criteria were studies that describe risk factors of domestic violence in pregnancy and its correlation with maternal mental health and written in English languange. Condition such as mental retardation, substance abuse and pre-existing mental health problems before were excluded from this study. After a long review of the titles and abstracts of 358 studies, 20 studies were identified for potential inclusion in the review. In the end, a total of 10 trials that fulfil researcher criteria were used in this literature review. The number of participants in each study varied, ranged from 300 to 1000 and the characteristics of the sample are similar.
 Domestic violence against women and mental disorders amongst pregnant women are extremely prevalent in under-resourced, urban areas and ultimately, have detrimental effects on birth outcomes. Mental health disorders are significantly associated with having experienced domestic violence in pregnancy. High risk population needs to be identified so that preventive strategies can be planned & implemented to stop the violence and improve mental health during pregnancy.

Children Witnessing Domestic and Family Violence: A Widespread Occurrence during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Cases of Domestic Violence against women tended to increase to 299,911 cases throughout 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic happened. There was an increase about 69% from 1,413 cases in 2019 to 2,389 cases in 2020. Covid-19 has had a significant impact on social, economic and various other dimensions, and also has an impact on household stability. Economic hardship during the pandemic increased women's vulnerability to violence.. When household income is reduced, the tension in the household is high. Women will become targets for perpetrators of violence who often use financial difficulties as an excuse for violence. The qualitative research with a phenomenological approach to women to explore risk factors for domestic violence on women during the covid-19 pandemic. Data collection methods used in-depth interview and focus group discussions. The study with a total of 20 participants was selected by purposive sampling with sampling variations. The data analysis used thematic analysis. The results of the study found that the types of domestic violence which was experienced during the pandemic did not differ much from before the pandemic, namely; physical, verbal, psychological, economic and sexual violence. The risk factors for domestic violence are affair, economic factors, communication problems with couple, couple/husband's character/temper, social media, sexual desire and the phenomenon of women who preferred prosperous and married men. This study also found that religiosity was a factor to prevent domestic violence. Conclusion: the risk factors for domestic violence did not stand alone, but could be caused by several factors at the same time.

Domestic violence is an important health, which has serious impacts on women's health. The study aimed to discover the protective and risk factors of domestic violence among pregnant adolescents. In the analytical cross-sectional study, 255 eligible pregnant women aged 14-20 years who have been referred to Al-Zahra Hospital, in northern Iran between September 2020 and March 2022 participated. Demographical characteristics were recorded by a questionnaire. Domestic violence was assessed using the instrument of violence against women. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the basic features of the data. The frequency of physical, emotional, and sexual violence was respectively 13.33%, 23.52%, and 9.01%. The risk factors included the spouse's substance use (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.25-4.62), spouse's low education (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.12-3.52), spouse's unemployment (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.57) and domestic violence exposure in childhood (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.46-2.51). Higher education for women was a protective factor for domestic violence (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.45-0.83). The education level is a protective factor against domestic violence among pregnant adolescents. These results can help to design the most appropriate prevention programs to reduce the risk factors for violence among pregnant adolescents.

Introduction The Covid-19 pandemic had brought unexpected challenges in all sectors of life, from the social, economic to health sectors, particularly public health. One of the most worrying effects of Covid-19 is the increase in cases of domestic violence. Aim : This scoping review was to determine trends in domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic and strategies for handling it Method The method used in this paper is the Scoping Review study. We searched for relevant articles on 4 databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest and EBSco), in English, published in 2019-2021. Of the 434 articles identified, there were 6 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Result There were 6 themes we got related to domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic, namely: 1) The number of cases of domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic; 2) Risk factors for domestic violence; 3) Victims and perpetrators of domestic violence; 4) Types of domestic violence; 5) Impact of domestic violence; 6) Strategies for handling domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Conclusion The Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on domestic violence cases, where the majority of victims were women and most of whom experienced recurrent domestic violence. The majority of the articles in this scoping review were quantitative research, we recommend that future research can be examined deeper into the understanding, experiences and needs of victims and perpetrators of domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic including the roles of cross-sectors and obstacles experienced in handling domestic violence in the future. the covid-19 pandemic. The results of this study are expected to provide input in making policies related to the prevention and reduction of domestic violence cases during the Covid-19 pandemic.

One out of three people (25% of men, 38% of women) in Curacao have experienced some form of domestic violence at some point in their adult lives. The most significant risk factors for domestic violence in Curacao are the female gender, a young age, low education, and experiencing domestic violence victimization in childhood. Divorce, single parenthood, and unemployment increase the risk for women, but not for men. These findings are consistent with current literature on the subject. Further research on the context, nature, and severity of domestic violence in the Caribbean is necessary. Studies should preferably combine the strengths of national crime surveys and family conflict studies: nationally representative samples (including men and women) and questionnaires that include all possible experiences of psychological, physical, and sexual assaults by current and former partners, family, and friends.

Towards an integrated theory of relational violence: Is bullying a risk factor for domestic violence?

Prevalence of and risk factors for domestic violence among pregnant women in Nigeria

Domestic violence is a serious and often underreported problem. No studies on domestic violence have been conducted in Oman. This study determined the prevalence and risk factors of emotional and/or physical domestic violence in Omani women, and the help-seeking behaviour of those experiencing domestic violence. This cross-sectional study in 2019 included literate women aged 18-60 years old attending primary health care centres in Muscat region. A self-administered questionnaire was used to record the characteristics of the women and determine the prevalence of emotional and physical domestic violence. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine risk factors for domestic violence. Of 1051 women approached, 978 agreed to participate. Mean age of the women was 30.6 (standard deviation 6.9) years. Domestic violence was reported by 28.8% (282/978) of women: 21.0% (205/978) had experienced emotional domestic violence, 18.0% (176/978) physical domestic violence and 10.1% (99) both emotional and physical domestic violence. Domestic violence was significantly associated with husband's alcohol consumption (odds ratio (OR) = 9.85, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.00-96.94), feeling depressed (OR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.75-4.81), insomnia (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.57-4.10) and somatic symptoms (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.08-2.78). Only 5.4% (11/205) of women experiencing emotional violence and 6.3% (11/176) experiencing physical violence had sought help from their doctors. Emotional and physical domestic violence against women is common in Oman and is associated with poor health outcomes. Addressing domestic violence in Oman is important and requires collaboration between different sectors.

Many women experience domestic violence during pregnancy. The magnitude and risk factors for domestic violence during pregnancy are not well documented in many countries, including Nigeria. Using interviewer- administered questionnaires the authors investigated predictors of domestic violence during current pregnancy among women presenting for antenatal care at a tertiary care facility in northern Nigeria (n = 400). A total of 29 of 392 respondents (7.4%) experienced domestic violence during the current pregnancy. Of those who experienced violence, the majority (58.6%) reported being physically assaulted. Sexual violence was reported by only 4 respondents (13.8%). Financial and domestic issues were the major triggers of domestic violence. After adjusting for potential confounders, it was found that victims' educational attainment and occupation remained significant predictors of domestic violence. Higher educational attainment of women and their engagement in economic activity outside the home were associated with a decreased risk for domestic violence. There is a need for preventive, protective, and redress mechanisms to guard against domestic violence in Nigeria.

Domestic violence (DV) against women can negatively affect the physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health of the women as well as the well-being of their children. The objective was to estimate among Saudi women the prevalence of different types of DV, to identify its associated risk factors, and to determine the immediate victims' reactions to such violence. A cross-sectional study was carried between March and July, 2011. Self-administrated questionnaire was administered to ever-married Saudi women attending Al-Wazarat primary health care center, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Out of the 720 women studied, 144 (20%) reported exposure to DV over the last year. The most common DV types were emotional (69%), social (34%), economic (26%), physical (20%), and sexual violence (10%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the following characteristics were independently associated with DV: younger women age, longer duration of marriage, higher women education, lower husband education, working husbands, military occupation, fewer children, husbands with multiple wives, smoking husbands, aggressive husbands, presence of chronic disease in women or husbands, and non-sufficient family income. The most common impacts of DV on women were medical or behavioral problems (72%) and psychiatric problems (58%). The most common reactions to DV were seeking separation (56%) and doing nothing (41%). More than 90% of children of abused women suffered psychological or behavioral problems. In conclusion, DV against Saudi women is considerable and the response is generally passive. Promoting a culture non-tolerant to DV and providing accessible, effective, and trustful social services to abused women are critically needed.

Background and Objective: Domestic violence against women is a major physical and mental health problem all across the globe. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of domestic violence in pregnancy, as well as its correlation with sociodemographic and psychological characteristics. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 360 pregnant women who were referred to the health care centers of Hamedan in 2022. Data were collected through a questionnaire that consisted of three parts: sociodemographic characteristics, psychological characteristics, and the questionnaire on domestic violence (Revised Conflict Tactics Scales OR CTS2). Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 20) using descriptive statistics, t-test, and Chi-square. Results: The overall Prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy was 58.6%. The prevalence rates of emotional, sexual, and physical violence were obtained at 46.8%, 31.6%, and 27.7%, respectively. The level of education, occupation, wealth index, as well as alcohol and drug abuse, had a significant relationship with domestic violence (P<0.001). Domestic violence was significantly correlated with unplanned pregnancies (P<0.001), self-esteem (P<0.004), stress (P<0.001), social support (P<0.001), and prenatal depression (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study pointed to a relatively high prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy. Therefore, it is suggested that all prenatal care centers have a screening program to identify domestic violence. Moreover, it is recommended to educate health professionals and women at risk and implement support programs for injured women.

In December 2012, a young student was gang-raped on a bus in Delhi. Since then media attention has been directed toward raising awareness about crimes against women in India. But data shows that domestic violence and not rape is India’s number one reported crime over the last decade. An incidence of domestic violence, legally defined as “cruelty by husband or his relatives,” is reported once every five minutes. This paper attempts to prospectively examine the association between several risk factors and domestic violence in India. We utilize a comprehensive, national database, viz. the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) and focus on a sample of 69704 ever-married women between the ages of 15-49. A limited dependent variable model was used to estimate the effects. The dependent variable is a dichotomous variable indicating whether a respondent has faced any form of violence (both physical and emotional). Benchmark results and robustness checks indicate that several socio-economic and demographic factors are significantly associated with the likelihood of facing domestic violence. Factors that matter are educational attainment by the female as well as the husband, her employment status, the employment status of the husband, and demographic factors like caste and religion. A broad investigation indicates that among a comprehensive set of socio-economic and demographic variables that affect the susceptibility of ever-married women to domestic violence, women’s exposure to intergenerational violence, and alcohol consumption by the partner emerge as significant risk factors. The results remain robust even with choice of sub-samples based on educational differences between the partners. There is ample anecdotal evidence to suggest that excessive alcohol consumption is a national problem. Policy options have varied between outright prohibition and the use of tax instruments to curb excessive alcohol consumption. Apart from these, other positive interventions could emphasize on adverse health impacts and children’s well-being to bring about a sustainable behavioral change in partners. In addition to empowering women to break the cycle of domestic violence, one possible policy solution calls for the use of medical settings as an intervention point for children exposed to such violence. In order to support practitioners, NGOs and governmental agencies could identify best practices and disseminate such information to communities.

BackgroundDomestic violence is a problem frequently encountered in health care settings and a risk factor for physical and mental health problems.ObjectiveTo provide nationally representative estimates of rates of domestic violence screening among women, to identify predictors of screening, and to describe settings where women are screened.Design and ParticipantsWe examined 4,821 women over the age of 18 from the second wave of Healthcare for Communities, a nationally representative household telephone survey conducted in 2000–2001.MeasurementsSelf-reports concerning whether the respondent was ever asked about domestic or family violence by any health care provider.ResultsOnly 7% (95% CI, 6%–8%) of women reported they were ever asked about domestic violence or family violence by a health care professional. Of women who were asked about abuse, nearly half (46%) were asked in a primary care setting, and 24% were asked in a specialty mental health setting. Women with risk factors for domestic violence were more likely to report being asked about it by a health care professional, but rates were still low.ConclusionsSelf-reported rates of screening for domestic violence are low even among women at higher risk for abuse. These findings reinforce the importance of developing training and raising awareness of domestic violence and its health implications. This is especially true in primary care and mental health specialty settings.