Profiles of domestic violence victims and perpetrators
S. Omri, N. Bouattour, H. Dhouib, N. Charfi, I. Gassara, R. Feki, M. Mâalej, M. Mâalej, W. Ben Amar, N. Smaoui, L. ZouariIntroduction
Domestic violence (DV) is increasingly high in our society. A Tunisian survey conducted by the National Family Planning Office in 2010 pinpointed the frequency and the recurrence of this phenomenon.
Objectives
To describe the demographics of the women victims and their spouses or ex-spouses.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of three months on women victims of domestic violence examined at the forensic medicine department of the Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax. All data was collected using self-reporting questionnaires, which were filled up by those women themselves. Profiles of the women sample (and the perpetrators) were analysed via the PASW Statistics 18 Advanced Statistical procedure.
Results
We included 60 female victims of DV in the study. The median age of victims was 33.5 years (IQR [25.75]) with extremes ranging from 18 to 65 years. The median age when they got wed was 23 years old (IQR [25,75]). Only 5% of the victims were illiterate. The majority, 42%, went to secondary school, followed by academic education,28%, and primary school 25%. Urban geographic origin was slightly higher among the victims, with 52%. As for occupation, 53.3% were housewives, 30% were laborers, 13.3% were civil servants or senior executives, and 3.3% were students. Regarding personal habits, 91.7% had no specific habit.
The median age of the abusive partner was 38.5 years (IQR [25–75]). Most of them were manual laborers (46.7%), 4% had a criminal record, and 15% had a regular consumption of weed.
According to the victims, the choice of their spouses was based on love in 62% of the cases. The average engagement period lasted 12 months (range: 12–22.5 months). The mean age difference between spouses was 4.5 years (3-7 years). In three cases, the woman was older than her spouse. The socioeconomic status of the couple was low in 13 cases (21.7%). Seven years was the mean duration of the wedding at the time of the current assault, with extremes ranging from 4 months to 40 years. The most reported motive for the aggression was financial difficulties (30%).
Conclusions
The study highlights a diverse demographic profile of women victims of domestic violence, predominantly young, educated, and mostly housewives. Their abusive partner was generally older, mostly a manual laborers, with a minority having a criminal record or substance use. Financial difficulties emerged as the leading cause of aggression, emphasizing the complex socio-economic factors involved in these cases.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared