Physical violence against women: evaluation of women assaulted by spouses

To investigate the characteristic of physical violence against women sent to the Forensic Medicine Council for the forensic reports with a history of being assaulted by their spouses.

One hundred and thirty five women attending judicial institutions from August 1st 2000 to January 31st 2001 were interviewed. The demographic characteristics of assaulted women and their spouses, time of violence, beginning and continuation of violence after marriage, frequency of violence, women's judgment of the reason for being assaulted, violence against children by the husbands, history of violence in the husbands' family, the husbands' manner at home, women' attitudes against violence, existence and type of physical trauma and injury severity according to Turkish Penalty Law were evaluated. The data were analyzed using chi(2) test and percent ratios.

The majority of both women and their husbands had been born in rural areas (73.3% and 71.1%, respectively). Approximately three quarters of the men and women had secondary school or lower education levels (80.7% and 81.5%, respectively). Most women (63.7%) and 17.8% of men were unemployed. For the most part, women were assaulted between 18.01 and 06.00 h (73.3%). Nearly 80% of husbands had at least one 'bad' habit such as alcohol intake and gambling. 60.7% of the assaulted women did not react to their spouses' violence. The most frequently encountered result of violence was soft tissue lesions (91.9%). After being assaulted nearly all of the women (91.9%) were provided with forensic reports advising of between 1 and 7 days of inability to follow ordinary pursuits.

Women from all socioeconomic-cultural levels reported a history of partner violence. Routine screening with structured questions during visits to doctors is necessary in order to identify assaulted women so as to prevent potential violence and to interrupt existing violence.