[Domestic violence]

The purpose of this study was to analyze the development in the incidence of violence against women committed by husband/spouse and violence against children committed by parents. This study is based on a prospective registration during a one year period (1993-94) of women and children who attended the casualty wards and/or the Department of Forensic Medicine because of exposure to violence. The results were compared with similar studies from 1981-82 and 1987-88. The incidence of domestic violence within the age group of 25-34 years (the major group) was in 1993-94 1.9 per 1000 per year, in 1981-82 1.7 and in 1987-88 2.9. Twelve percent of the women had been exposed to violence characterized as severe. Twenty (6.6%) women were registered more than once. Thirty-eight percent of Danish women and 25.8% of foreign women reported the incident to the police. The incidence of violence against children remained unchanged at 0.3 per 1000 per year during the three registration periods.