EPV745 - Profiles of domestic violence victims and perpetrators
EPV745
Profiles of domestic violence victims and perpetrators
S. Omri 1, N. Bouattour 1,*, H. Dhouib 2, N. Charfi 1, I. Gassara 1, R. Feki 1, M. Mâalej 1, M. Mâalej 1, W. Ben Amar 2, N. Smaoui 1, L. Zouari 1
1Psychiatry C, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, 2Forensic Medecine, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
Introduction: 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