Domestic violence is considered one of the most common forms of gender-related violence, and various studies estimate that between 10 and 35% of women experience domestic violence at some point in their lives. Nevertheless, it is a frequently neglected problem in crisis intervention centres, emergency wards, and obstetrics and gynaecological emergency rooms. This paper contributes to clarifying the definition, epidemiology, risk factors and consequences of domestic violence against women as well as the psychopathological profile of victims with a focus on Central European countries. Although different studies on domestic violence report different risk factors, such as younger age, being unmarried, lower education, violence experienced during childhood and alcohol/drug abuse of the partner or the victim herself, the results show no overall consistency. There seems to be neither a definite risk profile nor a specific association with a psychopathological profile. Women who have been victimised find it hard to share their experiences and seek help. It is often difficult for medical personnel who encounter these women to recognise violence and discuss this problem with them, just as it is difficult to offer adequate help. Medical personnel should be alerted to this subject and prepare guidelines for the further management and treatment of abused women. Infor-mation and support for medical staff can help to identify domestic violence, and encourage communication about this problem, thereby leading to a better and more efficient use of available services and resources.

Domestic violence against women: Definitions, epidemiology, risk factors and consequences.

Prevalence and risk factors for domestic violence against infertile women in an Iranian setting.

The aim of this study was to screen for and estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in Kazeroon, Iran. In November 2007, multistage cluster sampling was employed to recruit 702 women to participate in the study. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed. The prevalence of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse against women was 43.7%, 82.6%, and 30.9%, respectively, and there was a significant relationship between IPV and family income, education level, and level of religious commitment in both women and husbands. The study suggests that major strategies for prevention of IPV are empowering women and improving their status in the society by promoting of sexual equality in all rights, especially in employment and education. Language: en

Prevalence and determinants of intimate partner violence against women in Kazeroon, Islamic Republic of Iran

Durkheim's theory of fatalistic suicide, or suicide resulting from overregulation of behavior, has been neglected empirically. The authors test this hypothesis in Iran by examining the geographic distribution of female suicide. Employing the province as the unit of analysis, they examine the association between female suicide rates and multiple measures of social control of women, with rates expected to be higher in areas with greater social regulation of the lives of women and stronger traditional tribal cultures. Results show that provinces with lower levels of female education, female labor force participation, and urbanization have higher female suicide rates. Thus, whereas social deregulation is often associated with higher suicide rates in the West, the authors' findings reveal that hyperregulation is associated with higher suicide rates in Iran, at least for women.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077801208330434

Women's Fatalistic Suicide in Iran: A Partial Test of Durkheim in an Islamic Republic

BACKGROUND: Violence against women is one of the worst consequences of cultural, political, and socio-economic inequalities between men and women. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has been identified as an important cause of morbidity from multiple mental, physical, sexual, and reproductive health outcomes. Nonetheless, the prevalence and related factors of this international problem have not been investigated extensively in some parts of the world. The aims of this research were to determine the prevalence of physical and mental violence perpetrated by men against their intimate partners and to assess the associated factors of partner violence among women in Shahroud in northeastern region of Iran in 2010. METHODS: This Cross-Sectional study was conducted in Shahroud, in northeast of Iran in 2010. Cluster sampling was done from primary health service institutions, universities, public schools and governmental organizations throughout the city and six hundred married women completed the study. A structured questionnaire with 34 items was designed in three parts to assess the physically (10 items) and mentally (15 items) violent acts by a current intimate male partner and identify collative behaviors (9 items) of victims. The Logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the net effect of background variables on the IPV occurrence within the past year. RESULTS: About 20% of the participants experienced at least one type of physical violence. Increased risk of physical violence was positively associated with the younger age of the couple (OR=3.08, PCONCLUSIONS: Some socioeconomic characteristics such as educational level, occupational status of men, heavy smoking and drug abusing are associated with the occurrence of violence against one's intimate partner. Since IPV is usually unreported, healthcare providers should be aware of the risk factors associated with domestic violence to be able to design preventive measures against its negative health outcomes in women. Language: en

/pdf/violence-against-women-by-their-intimate-partners-in-2r9ynlz64i.pdf

Violence against women by their intimate partners in Shahroud in northeastern region of Iran.

Background: Violence against women and threat of violence are some of the main barriers to women’s empowerment and equal participation in the society. However, they often go unnoticed and undocumented and therefore unresolved. For women, one of every five years of healthy life lost because of injury, disease, or premature death is attributable to violence. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of domestic violence in women attending three obstetric and gynecologic clinics in Tehran, and to determine the association between domestic violence and demographic factors. Methods: One thousand women, 15 – 64 years old, attending three obstetric and gynecologic clinics affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey with self-administered questionnaire. The association between demographic factors (age, level of education, religious believes, annual income, job, husband’s employment status, drug and alcohol abuse, previous custody of husbands) and domestic violence was assessed by questionnaire. Results: Five hundred and ninety out of the 1000 women had experienced at least one form of violence (physical, mental, not sexual) from their husbands, 196 women had experienced some forms of controlling behavior and mental violence, and 361 women had been physically threatened. Low level of education in women, nongovernmental job, previous custody, psychiatric disorders of men, and coercive marriage for women were associated with an increased risk of domestic violence. Conclusion: With the high prevalence of domestic violence, health workers should not ignore the seriousness of domestic violence. Health and social personnel should be appropriately trained before “asking all cases” becomes a policy within health and social services.

http://www.ams.ac.ir/AIM/NEWPUB/07/10/3/006.pdf

Samira Eslami

Papers

Domestic violence against women attending gynecologic outpatient clinics.