EVALUATION OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE BY SPOUSES AGAINST WOMEN REFERRED TO A FORENSIC MEDICINE CENTER OF TEHRAN

Violence against women is a social problem all over the world. This social problem, in addition to its physical and mental sequelae, has a significant social impact. Therefore, in an effort to show the magnitude of the problem and prevent such antisocial phenomena in the society, a group of researchers decided to investigate such physical injuries referred to forensic centers. This cross-sectional study investigated the frequency, types, and effectors of partner’s maltreatment in autumn 2000. Data were collected from all women referred to the Women’s Ward of the Forensic Center of Tehran who had admitted to being subjected to violence by their spouses. For each of them, a checklist was completed that consisted of data items regarding the victim’s and her partner’s demographic characteristics; the type, frequency, and history of violence; and the causes of disagreement in the family. Of the women studied, 87.2% either had finished high school or had lower education. The average age of the study population and the average age at marriage were 28.9 and 20.2 years, respectively. Among the subjects, 68.7% had been physically abused by their spouses. In addition, 58.7% of their children have no spouses. Forty percent and 42.4% of the spouses were alcohol users and drug abusers, respectively. Overall, the most important causes of partner’s mistreatment detected in the study population were: the young age and low education level of both partners and the female partner being primarily a housekeeper and the male partner’s alcohol use or a drug abuse. Therefore, public and special education is recommended to prevent this social problem.