Prevalence Of Family Violence Research Articles

Impacts of COVID-19 on family violence in Thailand: prevalence and influencing factors

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected societies globally, prompting rising unemployment, insufficient household incomes, and stress and undermining women's and children's health within families. This study examined family violence and identified influencing factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.MethodsA mixed-method design was used, entailing a questionnaire followed by focus group interviews. A cross-sectional survey was administered to investigate family violence among 1285 female respondents aged 15 years and above who were recruited through stratified sampling. The Cronbach alpha and and inter-raters Kappa coefficient values for the questionnaire were 0.67 and 1.00, respectively. In addition, a descriptive qualitative instrument was employed to analyze the data sets from four focus group interviews held with 32 staff members from agencies that deal with family violence. The researchers jointly developed the focus group questions, which focused on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family violence. They independently analyzed data using content analysis.ResultsThe majority of the study participants were aged above 45 years (>50%), married (61.1%), lived in single-family settings (52.5%), had lost their jobs (64.4%), and had economic constraints that were moderate (37.8%) to severe (40.6%). The prevalence of family violence, which was primarily physical, was 42.2%. Family income, stress, and substance abuse were the main factors associated with family violence. These findings were correlated with those from the qualitative interviews.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic had indirect impacts through family violence. Women were subjected to family violence behaviors, which were associated with household income, economic status, stress, and substance abuse. These behaviors included psychological and physical violence, as well as sexual abuse. Future interventions should focus on financial support and stress reduction.

Mental health of women and children experiencing family violence in conflict settings: a mixed methods systematic review

BackgroundArmed conflict has significant impacts on individuals and families living in conflict-affected settings globally. Scholars working to prevent violence within families have hypothesised that experiencing armed conflict leads to an increase in family violence and mental health problems. In this review, we assessed the prevalence of family violence in conflict settings, its association with the mental health of survivors, moderating factors, and the importance of gender relations.MethodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies that assessed the prevalence of family violence and the association between family violence and mental health problems, within conflict settings (PROSPERO reference CRD42018114443).ResultsWe identified 2605 records, from which 174 full text articles were screened. Twenty-nine studies that reported family violence during or up to 10 years after conflict were eligible for inclusion. Twenty one studies were quantitative, measuring prevalence and association between family violence and mental health problems. The studies were generally of high quality and all reported high prevalence of violence. The prevalence of violence against women was mostly in the range of 30–40%, the highest reported prevalence of physical abuse being 78.9% in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For violence against children, over three-quarters had ever experienced violence, the highest prevalence being 95.6% in Sri Lanka. Associations were found with a number of mental health problems, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder. The risk varied in different locations. Eight qualitative studies showed how men’s experience of conflict, including financial stresses, contributes to their perpetration of family violence.ConclusionsFamily violence was common in conflict settings and was associated with mental health outcomes, but the studies were too heterogenous to determine whether prevalence or risk was greater than in non-conflict settings. The review highlights an urgent need for more robust data on perpetrators, forms of family violence, and mental health outcomes in conflict-affected settings in order to help understand the magnitude of the problem and identify potential solutions to address it.

Prevalence of Child Maltreatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey of Rural Hubei, China

The impact of lockdown measures in Wuhan, China during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on child maltreatment remains unknown. The present study attempted to estimate the prevalence of child maltreatment during this period, to identify risk factors, and the influence of child maltreatment. A representative sample of 1,062 school-aged children in rural Hubei province was surveyed. Results indicated that the prevalence of family violence, physical violence, emotional abuse and neglect during the lockdown period were 13.9, 13.7, 20.2 and 7.3 percent, respectively, and that of lifetime prevalence were 17.0, 13.9, 14.6 and 6.9 percent, respectively. And most victims did not seek official help. Boys were more likely to experience physical violence. Children from separated/divorced families tended to report more emotional abuse. Those having family members with a history of drug abuse and mental illness were more likely to experience neglect during the lockdown period. All types of child maltreatment were positively associated with self-harm behaviours. These findings highlight the importance of identifying at-risk children immediately and implementing timely intervention programmes to prevent self-harm behaviours for social workers and health professionals.

Under poverty and conflict: Well-being of children living in the east of Turkey.

Children living in armed conflict zones are often exposed to political violence and other risk factors that may be caused or exacerbated by the conflict, such as poverty and family violence. If left untreated, these experiences may cause psychological problems throughout life. This study investigated the psychological well-being of children living in the low-intensity armed conflict zone in Turkey in relation to their adverse experiences. We collected data from 409 caregivers for their children (236 girls) aged 5.5 to 18 years (mean [M] = 11.50, standard deviation [SD] = 3.65). Caregivers provided information regarding their children's emotional and behavioral problems (internalizing, externalizing, and total problems; posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS]), income, family violence, and armed conflict experiences. Caregivers reported moderate levels of problems among children. The prevalence of borderline/clinical (T ≥ 60) scores was 14.3% for internalizing, 12.6% for externalizing, and 14% for total problems and 7.9% for PTSS. Notably, almost all families resided in extreme poverty. The prevalence of family violence was 36%. Children were frequently exposed to conflict-related events. Hierarchical regressions showed that after controlling for the role of demographic variables and other risk factors, income predicted total problem level (β = -.10), and family violence (βs = .17 to .26) and armed conflict (βs = .13 to .20) experiences predicted internalizing, externalizing, and total problems and PTSS levels. Our findings suggest that family violence and armed conflict pose a significant risk to children's psychological well-being and inform intervention strategies and policy decisions to promote welfare in such disadvantaged contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Prevalence of family violence and mental health and their relation to peer victimization: A representative study of adolescent students in Southwestern Uganda

BackgroundDespite global efforts to end violence against children in all settings, reports reveal that violence against children is still highly prevalent, especially in low-and middle- income countries. Violence in childhood is associated with a host of negative outcomes, and exposure in one setting can easily spill over to other contexts. For instance, exposure to family violence was not only related to mental health problems but also seems to be a risk factor for peer victimization. ObjectivesThe present study aimed to examine the prevalence of maltreatment within the family and adolescents’ mental health problems and their relation to peer victimization. We also aimed to gain new insights into the perceptions of adolescents concerning maltreatment within their families. MethodsData were collected from April to November 2017 in a representative sample of 702 students from 12 public secondary schools in Southwestern Uganda who responded to self-administered questionnaires. ResultsOverall, 95% of the students experienced at least one type of family violence in the past month. Students (81.3%) had endorsed some level of acceptance of violent discipline as a valid strategy in response to any misbehavior. Maltreatment within the family was related to peer victimization (β = .47) and this relation was mediated by mental health problems (0.002, 95%-CI: 0.001–0.004). ConclusionsThe results indicated a high prevalence of maltreatment within Ugandan families that was associated with peer victimization. This underscores the need to implement interventions aiming to reduce maltreatment and violence in order to protect children from potentially negative consequences.

Problem Gambling and Family Violence: Factors Associated With Family Violence Victimization and Perpetration in Treatment-Seeking Gamblers.

Although problem gambling and family violence are related, there is little available research exploring the factors associated with this relationship. The primary aim was to predict family violence (victimization and perpetration) in a sample of treatment-seeking gamblers by gambling indices (gambling symptom severity, gambling time spent, gambling frequency, gambling expenditure), psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, gambling coping motives, alcohol and drug use, gambling-related legal consequences, work and social adjustment, impulsivity, and gender. A secondary aim was to explore the degree to which these factors moderate the relationship between gambling symptom severity and family violence. Participants (n = 141) were consecutively recruited gamblers presenting to a gambling counseling service. The prevalence of family violence was 25.5%, with 18.4% reporting victimization and 19.1% reporting perpetration. Intimate partners and parents were most likely to be both perpetrators and victims of family violence. Victimization was significantly predicted by psychological distress, symptoms of PTSD, and gambling-related legal consequences, while perpetration was significantly predicted by gambling symptom severity, gambling-related legal consequences, and impulsivity. The association between gambling symptom severity and victimization was significant only for gamblers with low levels of gambling coping motives and moderate or high levels of alcohol use. These findings provide further support for routine screening in problem gambling and family violence services, particularly those who report gambling-related legal consequences; highlight the need for prevention and intervention programs to lower the co-occurrence of these behaviors; and suggest that reducing psychological distress, symptoms of PTSD, alcohol use, and impulsivity may be important in these efforts.

A cross-sectional descriptive study of the family functioning, health and social support of hospital patients with family violence backgrounds.

Family violence (FV) has serious effects on the health and well-being of the family. The health sector plays a vital role in FV prevention by helping to identify abuse early, providing victims with the necessary treatment and referring patients to appropriate care. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to describe the prevalence of FV among hospital patients, as well as to assess the association between family functioning, health and social support, considering patients as the perpetrators or victims of violence. The data were collected using a Family Functioning, Health and Social Support (FAFHES) questionnaire that was given to patients who visited a Finnish central hospital between October 2012 and April 2013. As a result, the data (N = 188) were contributed by the patients who returned the questionnaire and gave permission for a follow-up survey. The participation rate was 47%, of which 73% were women and 27% were men. Their ages ranged from 18 to 89 years. The data were analysed with quantitative methods using the unadjusted analyses and linear regression model. In total, 24% of both the male and female participants had experienced or used violence at home or in the family. Of these, 22 had been the perpetrators, and 23 had been the victims. Participants in relationships and who were living together had less violence than singles and those who were not living together. The family functioning and health of the participants who had experienced or used FV were worse than those of the participants who had not. Various patients can have an FV background, and nursing professionals are on the front line to identify and intervene in FV situations. The results of this study can be utilised in the treatment of FV victims and perpetrators by training healthcare workers to identify and intervene in violence.

Military Family Advocacy in the U.S. Army: Program Service Outcomes and Family Participation

Violence in military families remains a vexing problem. Since the advent of the Global War on Terror, there is inconsistent evidence that the prevalence of family violence is increasing, particularly during and after military deployments. However, child neglect appears to increase significantly during military deployments. The military has developed family advocacy programs designed to keep families safe and intervene to reduce the deleterious effects of exposure to family violence. This is one of the first studies to examine the quality with which a family advocacy program is implemented and the degree to which families engage with the program. To conduct this study, the case files of 226 families who came in contact with the Army Family Advocacy Program (FAP) and whose cases were closed in 2013 were reviewed and coded across several implementation and service outcomes. These included involvement of qualified staff, whether or not appropriate victim and offender assessments were completed, degree of inter-agency communication, and appropriateness of referrals, among others. Soldier and family member participation in FAP and other Army-sponsored programs designed to reduce violence was also assessed. Generally speaking, the Army Family Advocacy Program was implemented with high quality, established processes and procedures for handling cases were largely followed, and FAP staff responded rapidly and thoroughly to reported abuse. However, family engagement with Army services and supports was low. Developing robust approaches to engaging families in family programming must be a high priority going forward.

Prevalence of Family Violence and Associated Factors Among In-School Adolescents in São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Family violence is a social and public health issue across the world for many populations and affects many different types of people, for example, children, women, and vulnerable adults. Adolescents are one of the main victims of this important phenomenon. This article estimates the prevalence of family violence in adolescents and associated factors. The study was carried out in 2012 with a probability and representative sample of 656 adolescents aged between 11 and 17 years who were enrolled at public schools located in the extreme South of the city of São Paulo. The association was tested by the proportion test, Pearson's chi-square or Fischer's exact test, and Poisson regression adjusted by robust variance estimation, considering a level of significance of 5%. Among adolescents, 38.9% reported having been victims of family violence. Women were victimized with higher frequency (44.1%). The factors associated with prevalence of family violence were being of the female sex (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.20, 1.80]) and living only with the father (PR = 1.52; 95% CI = [1.11, 2.08]). The prevalence of adolescents who were victims of family violence is high; however, special attention must be paid to women and adolescents who live only with their father-they were established, in this study, as a risk group. Epidemiological studies of this nature are important to reveal the reality of family violence and to aid the construction of intersectoral public policies to promote health, prevent violence, and foster a peaceful culture.

Becoming better helpers: rethinking language to move beyond simplistic responses to women experiencing intimate partner violence

The prevalence of family violence is a persistent challenge facing New Zealand. Its effects are pervasive, spanning multiple levels: individuals, family/wha -nau, communities, and society in general. A major challenge in effectively addressing family violence is the apparent disconnect that exists between the various agencies and services that interact with families/wha -nau where abuse has become a defining feature of their lives. Despite efforts by agencies to become more collaborative, they tend to function in silos. In conducting a series of death reviews the Family Violence Death Review Committee has found agency records to reveal a lack of shared understanding of intimate partner violence as a gendered problem. The records misconstrue victims’ and perpetrators’ roles and convey distorted notions about the realities of victims’ lives and the context of the violence they suffer. This leads to practices that put victims and their children at further risk. In this article we discuss findings related to the use of language and the concept of empowerment that need to be critically considered by those working with victims and perpetrators and those planning and designing family violence responses and services.

Problem gambling and family violence: Prevalence and patterns in treatment-seekers

The primary aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and patterns of family violence in treatment-seeking problem gamblers. Secondary aims were to identify the prevalence of problem gambling in a family violence victimisation treatment sample and to explore the relationship between problem gambling and family violence in other treatment-seeking samples. Clients from 15 Australian treatment services were systematically screened for problem gambling using the Brief Bio-Social Gambling Screen and for family violence using single victimisation and perpetration items adapted from the Hurt-Insulted-Threatened-Screamed (HITS): gambling services (n=463), family violence services (n=95), alcohol and drug services (n=47), mental health services (n=51), and financial counselling services (n=48). The prevalence of family violence in the gambling sample was 33.9% (11.0% victimisation only, 6.9% perpetration only, and 16.0% both victimisation and perpetration). Female gamblers were significantly more likely to report victimisation only (16.5% cf. 7.8%) and both victimisation and perpetration (21.2% cf. 13.0%) than male gamblers. There were no other demographic differences in family violence prevalence estimates. Gamblers most commonly endorsed their parents as both the perpetrators and victims of family violence, followed by current and former partners. The prevalence of problem gambling in the family violence sample was 2.2%. The alcohol and drug (84.0%) and mental health (61.6%) samples reported significantly higher rates of any family violence than the gambling sample, while the financial counselling sample (10.6%) reported significantly higher rates of problem gambling than the family violence sample. The findings of this study support substantial comorbidity between problem gambling and family violence, although this may be accounted for by a high comorbidity with alcohol and drug use problems and other psychiatric disorders. They highlight the need for routine screening, assessment and management of problem gambling and family violence in a range of services.

Indigenous Family Violence: An Attempt to Understand the Problems and Inform Appropriate and Effective Responses to Criminal Justice System Intervention

Whilst high levels of concern about the prevalence of family violence within Indigenous communities have long been expressed, progress in the development of evidence-based intervention programs for known perpetrators has been slow. This review of the literature aims to provide a resource for practitioners who work in this area, and a framework from within which culturally specific violence prevention programs can be developed and delivered. It is suggested that effective responses to Indigenous family violence need to be informed by culturally informed models of violence, and that significant work is needed to develop interventions that successfully manage the risk of perpetrators of family violence committing further offences.

GPs' perception of their role in the identification and management of family violence

To examine the following: (1) GPs' perception of their role in identification and management of family violence in New Zealand, possible barriers and how these might be overcome and (2) opinions of GPs regarding the prevalence of family violence in their practices. Three focus group (18 participants) discussions were conducted in 2002. Participants were GPs from southern New Zealand urban and rural general practices, Student Health and one medical officer from a provincial hospital. The groups' discussions were audio taped, transcribed, then analysed and coded using qualitative methodology. Participating GPs thought they were in a good position to identify and manage family violence but estimated prevalence in their practice populations was low. Barriers included perceived difficulty, complexity and stress in dealing with family violence. Lack of time, confidence or experience in dealing with family violence, lack of information and access to referral agencies were also noted. GPs felt powerless when victims would not change their situation. Dealing with the perpetrator was difficult. Training and coordinated support and referral systems could improve GPs' involvement with identification and management of family violence. The GPs' estimation of family violence prevalence in their practices is low compared to community-based research. Many issues affect the GP in identifying and managing family violence and must be considered in developing guidelines and training, referral systems and support for GPs.

Prevalencia y factores asociados a violencia familiar en adultos mayores de Ocozocoautla (Chiapas, México)

Introduction initially considered a social welfare problem, familial elder abuse is now a question of public health. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of familial elder abuse and to determine associated risk factors in a rural area of Mexico. Material and methods a cross sectional study was conducted. A random sample of individuals aged 60 years old and older registered in community-based services in the IMSS-Oportunidades Rural Hospital of Ocozocoautla, Chiapas was selected. A home interview was carried out and information was obtained on sociodemographic characteristics, family function, social network, the presence of disease, cognitive status, physical function, and family violence. Statistical analysis of the data included simple frequencies, the chi-square test, odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and a logistic regression model. Results we interviewed 1,078 older people. The overall prevalence of family violence in the elderly was 8.1% (95% CI, 6.4-9.7). Distribution was as follows: physical abuse 3.4%, psychological abuse 7%, sexual abuse 0.6%, and financial abuse 2.2%. Several factors were strongly associated with family violence: illiteracy (OR = 2.15; 95% CI, 1.26-3.66; p = 0.005), housing dependence (OR = 1.78, 95% CI, 1.06-2.99; p = 0.030), dysfunctional social network (OR = 5.98; 95% CI, 3.56-10.04; p ≤ 0.001), the presence of at least one disease (OR = 3.96; 95% CI, 2.35-6.67; p ≤ 0.001), and physical dependence (OR = 1.66; 95% CI, 0.99-2.80; p = 0.055). Conclusions this study shows that the prevalence of family violence in the rural setting is not negligible (8.1%). The associated factors identified allow schemes to be designed that would help personnel working with older people, whether in the social or health services, to be designed.

Prevalence of family violence in clients entering substance abuse treatment.

The present study evaluated 105 clients who were assessed for substance-related problems and a history of domestic violence. A brief survey on family violence examined whether clients were adult victims, childhood victims, and/or perpetrators of physical violence. Results indicated that 37% of the sample reported that they experienced a family history of physical violence. A total of 22% reported being an adult victim of physical violence, 14% reported being a victim of childhood abuse, and 18% reported being a perpetrator of physical violence. There was a significant positive correlation between subtypes of family violence. Substance-using clients who were older reported more incidences of family violence. Results showed that substance-using clients with a history of family violence (SAFV+) tended to have more individual therapy sessions attended than substance-using clients without a history of family violence (SAFV-). The SAFV+ group was different from the SAFV- group in that they had significantly higher scores on the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores. The SAFV+ group also had significantly more self-reported and positive urine screens for cocaine use within the 2-month monitoring period. Additionally, substance-using clients with a history of childhood trauma had significantly more individual therapy sessions attended than clients without a history of childhood trauma. The group with a history of childhood trauma had significantly higher scores on the BDI. Findings indicate the importance of assessing family history of violence in substance abusers entering treatment, as this may have significant implications for treatment outcome.

Familial patterns in patients with infrequent panic attacks.

To evaluate the family environment in patients with infrequent panic attacks. Survey. Waiting room of a family health center at a university-based family practice residency program. The center primarily serves low-income or underinsured patients, 80% of whom are Hispanic. Randomly selected patients completed the panic disorder section of the Structured Clinical Interview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition. Thirty patients with infrequent panic attacks were compared with 30 control patients without panic attacks matched for age, gender, and ethnicity. Both groups completed in-depth interviews. None. The in-depth structured interview included family environment instruments--Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales and Duke Social Support and Stress Scale--as well as a genogram. Family violence and sexual abuse were assessed by means of the Conflict Tactic Scales and the Sexual Stress Questionnaire. Although patients with infrequent panic attacks were of lower birth order than patients without panic attacks (Wilcoxon chi 2 = 2.13, P < or = .02), no differences in childhood or current family functioning were found. However, patients with infrequent panic attacks reported higher levels of childhood (paired t = 3.97, P < or = .001) and current (paired t = 3.05, P < or = .005) family stress. Although the prevalence of family violence was similar between groups, the group with infrequent panic attacks reported more violent events in the past year (paired t = 2.60, P < or = .02) than did the group with no panic attacks. Similarly, 60% of patients with infrequent panic attacks reported childhood sexual abuse, as opposed to 13% of patients without panic attacks (McNemar's chi 2 = 10.5, P < or = .005). Although no association between infrequent panic attacks and family functioning or support were found, the group with infrequent panic attacks reported more frequent violent events currently and higher levels of family stress. The high rate of childhood sexual abuse may have important causative implications for infrequent panic attacks.

Family violence reported in a psychiatric emergency room

The prevalence of family violence reported in psychiatric emergency rooms is relatively undocumented, despite the clinical and legal concern for dangerousness. This study assesses the prevalence of aggression incidents reported to clinicians and physicians during evaluation interviews (n =389).Two-thirds of the total number of subjects reported being involved in an “aggression” incident sometime in their past. Only 8% reported being the victim of such incidents. About one-half of the cases involved physical assaults; nearly one-half of these assaults had family members as victims. One third of the total cases had been assaultive within 3 months; one sixth had been assaultive within 2 weeks of visiting the hospital. Clinicians and researchers are urged to consider more systematically family violence in psychiatric settings.