Factors Associated With Domestic Violence Against Women in Iran: An Exploratory Multicenter Community-Based Study

Abstract

Domestic violence against women committed by intimate partners is a worldwide concern especially in developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess the problem among Iranian women and identify associated risk factors. Using a cross-sectional multicenter design, 1,600 women in six different areas of Iran were surveyed. A measure of domestic violence against women was administered and demographic information collected. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with domestic violence. The prevalence of domestic violence among participants were emotional (64%), physical (28%), and sexual (18%). Higher education (both women and their partners), employment status of partner (being employed), and lower number of children lowered the risk, whereas history of previous marriage (for either women or their partners), unstable marriage, substance abuse, crowded family situation, and lower socioeconomic status increased the risk of domestic violence. There is a high prevalence of domestic violence, particularly emotional, against women by their partners. Preventive measures are recommended such as increasing public awareness, improving in socioeconomic status of families, educating women about what they can do, and encouraging counseling for the couple or the woman alone.

Challenges of implementing restorative justice for intimate partner violence: An Islamic perspective

“…However, some of the common factors associated with experiencing IPV among Muslim women include rural residence, lower level of education, lower household income, nonworking status, lower decision-making autonomy, husband's controlling behaviours, husband's substance abuse, endorsement of traditional gender roles, and justification or acceptance of wife beating among men and women (Al-Nsour, Khawaja, & Al-Kayyali, 2009;Boy & Kulczycki, 2008;Jayasundara, Nedegaard, Sharma, & Flanagan, 2014;Saffari et al, 2017). In addition, a range of psycho-socio-cultural factors, including varied religious and cultural traditions, are known to complicate the contextual circumstances of IPV (Boy & Kulczycki, 2008;Jayasundara, Nedegaard, Sharma, & Flanagan, 2014).…”

Challenges of Implementing Restorative Justice for Intimate Partner Violence: An Islamic Perspective

“…In spite of the condemnation of any kind of violence against women, spousal violence happens because of misogynistic misinterpretations, misunderstandings of Islamic law by the perpetrators, and cultural and patriarchal interpretations of these religious texts (Al-Hibri, 2003;Faizi, 2001;Ibrahim & Abdalla, 2010). Perpetrators generally use some particular Qur'anic texts to create a religious 'alibi' in 7 order to justify spousal violence (Douki, Nacef, Belhadj, Bouasker, & Ghachem, 2003 Boy & Kulczycki, 2008;Jayasundara, Nedegaard, Sharma, & Flanagan, 2014;Saffari et al, 2017). In addition, a range of psycho-socio-cultural factors, including varied religious and cultural traditions, are known to complicate the contextual circumstances of IPV (Boy & Kulczycki, 2008;Jayasundara, Nedegaard, Sharma, & Flanagan, 2014).…”

“…A systematic review of studies from the Middle Eastern and North African Muslim countries 3 documented that 8% to 65% of married women were physically assaulted by a partner during their marital life (Boy & Kulczycki, 2008). Specifically, the prevalence of physical IPV is reported to be approximately 30% in Jordan (Haddad, Shotar, Younger, Alzyoud, & Bouhaidar, 2011), 30-45.5% in Saudi Arabia (Almosaed, 2004;Eldoseri & Sharps, 2017), 55% in Pakistan (Naeem, Irfan, Zaidi, Kingdon, & Ayub, 2008), 28% in Iran (Saffari et al, 2017), and 52.8% in Bangladesh (Islam, Broidy, Baird, & Mazerolle, 2017b). Many Muslim women also experience IPV in their countries of migration, such as the US, Canada or Australia (Ayyub, 2000;Faizi, 2001;Ghafournia, 2017;Hamid, 2015;Holtmann, 2016;Jayasundara, Nedegaard, Sharma, & Flanagan, 2014).…”

Psychometric Properties of HITS Screening Tool (Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream) in Detecting Intimate Partner Violence in Iranian Women

“…However, the limited but valuable reports about other parts of the world indicate the extent of this problem across nations and cultures. Domestic violence is a serious health problem in Iran too with differences of prevalence and type in different regions of the country (4). The prevalence of inti-mate partner violence has been reported to be 63.4%, 28.0%, and 17.5% for emotional, physical, and sexual types of violence (4).…”

“…Domestic violence is a serious health problem in Iran too with differences of prevalence and type in different regions of the country (4). The prevalence of inti-mate partner violence has been reported to be 63.4%, 28.0%, and 17.5% for emotional, physical, and sexual types of violence (4). Higher rates have been reported from special populations such as working women (5).…”