Summery

Consulting Centre for Women “Sakhli” has been working on the problem of domestic violence (DV) since 1997. One of the directions of the Centre’s activities is a research work. Several surveys have been conducted since 1998, namely: ‘Domestic Violence and Human Rights’(1998), ‘Domestic Violence – Study of Gender Relationships’(2002); ‘Gender Aspects of Family Conflicts’(2003);

The research work aimed at revealing public attitude towards domestic violence, existing stereotypes, wide spread forms of DV, provoking factors, main violator, the role of socio-economic factors on implementation of family roles and functions.

The obtained results suggested that:

• Domestic violence is not considered as the pressing problem by the society. Domestic violence, protection against violence and issues of elaboration of relevant laws are more important for women than for men. Hence, issue of domestic violence is understood better by women than men;
• Economic difficulties (unemployment) were identified as the main cause of family problems, conflicts in the family and family violence. These factors were found to impede the implementation of their functions by family members (especially for men) and to form a foundation for tense family relations.
• Preservation of a conflict family greatly depends on the normative attitude of the society regarding indispensability of having a family;
• Men are considered as violators in the family; The most conflict couple are daughter-in- law – mother-in-law, husband - wife and son-in-law – mother-in-law  respectively;
• The comparative analysis of the data of male and female groups showed that
  each group is very critical of the opposite sex group. The tendency of aggressive interpretation of the opposite sex’s behaviour and blaming each other for unfulfilled responsibilities are commonplace. At the same time the ability to recognize one’s own responsibility for the conflict was named as one of the most successful means for reducing the tension by both male and female respondents;
• Reaction on and active interference in domestic violence is unacceptable for the society;
• Indirect methods rather than direct censure of domestic violence is more acceptable for the society;
• In spite of the opinion, that occurrence of domestic violence does not depend on the level of education, age, social or economic status, results of the study proved the contrary: attitude towards domestic violence and its evaluation greatly depends on the age, education, family status and economic condition.

Proceeding from one of the main directions of the activities of the Centre (psycho-social consultation of DV victims), the Centre has conducted the research ‘Peculiarities of Marital Relationships in Conflict Situations’  in 2004. The aim of the research was revealing peculiarities of marital relationships in conflict situations, detection of the most conflict areas of family relationships (by the special questionnaire) and identification of the role of society in the prevention of domestic violence (by the in-depth interview).

The special questionnaire 1 for the research of the above mentioned issues was used in the study . The questionnaire comprises description of 32 conflict situations, which might take place in the relationships between married couple. Questionnaire covers the following eight most frequent conflict areas between wife and husband:

1.      Problems with regard to relatives and friends;

2.      Issues connected with upbringing of children;

3.      Manifestation of strives for autonomy;

4.      Disturbance in the role expectations;

5.      Disagreement in the norms of behaviour;

6.      Manifestation of dominance on the part of the spouse;

7.      Manifestation of the jealousy;

8.      Divergent attitudes towards money.

The research was carried out on randomly selected samples of 200 respondents, both men (100) and women (100). The groups by age, marital status, duration of marriage, family type were identical. The obtained results were processed using a special statistical programme (SPSS).

The obtained results were analyzed on the basis of the data of the whole sample as well as of the separate groups (age, marital status, duration of marriage, family type). The results of the each group groups were analyzed also according to gender.

The analysis of the results revealed the following:

1)      The most conflict areas of marital relationships are circumstances, where:

-         dominance on the part of the spouse is manifested;

-         problems in relation with relatives and friends appear;

-         jealousy is revealed;

2)      Men’s group demonstrated higher conflict rate as compared to women’s group. Men’s negative reactions, disagreement, defence of own positions and resistance were demonstrated in active manner, while women remained passive in conflict situations. But along with the increase of age and family life experience, passive reactions of women were transferred into active tendencies – they manifested their disagreement and defended their positions. At the same time it should be noted that the conflict rate of women was low in those areas, where conflict rate of men was high and vice versa.

3)      The analysis of the results by gender revealed differences of conflict spheres among men’s and women’s groups. The highly conflict spheres for men were :

manifestation of dominance on the part of the spouse (6), problems with regard to relatives and friends (1) and manifestation of the jealousy (7). In women’s group – disagreement in the norms of behaviour (5) ,manifestation of strives for autonomy(3), disturbance in the role expectations  (4), divergent attitudes towards money (8).

 It could be assumed that for men the circumstances threatening their dominance in the family could serve as a source of conflict. While for women circumstances that impede functioning of the wife-husband system as a whole, might cause conflict.

4)      The results obtained in the groups (by age, marital status, duration of marriage, family type) were similar to those obtained from the whole sample.

5)      Different picture was revealed during the data analyses of the male and female respondents of the above mentioned groups. Conflict areas in all male groups (according to age, duration of marriage, family type family status) remained the same as in male groups in general (i.e. manifestation of dominance on the part of the spouse (6), problems with regard to relatives and friends (1) and manifestation of the jealousy (7)). Results of female groups are not homogeneous – different conflict spheres were identified in different groups. Though these results did not affect the overall picture of the results.

6)      Differences by the age, marital status, family life duration, family type appeared to be less important than differences by gender. In conflict circumstances men appeared to be less yielding and communicative than women, who perceive the conflict situation like men, but have different forms of expression. Their protest is more passive than that of men, for whom the active form of expressing conflict is acceptable.

The obtained results reconfirm the existence of characteristic features of the traditional masculine culture – men’s activities and aggressiveness are acceptable and acknowledged by society and women themselves, while women are considered to be yielding and having passive positions. Proceeding from this we deemed it necessary to identify role of the society in the settlement of the family conflicts.

As it was mentioned above our research aimed also at identifying the impact of society on the issue of domestic violence prevention as well as revealing the function of social surroundings in the settlement of family conflicts.

In depth interviews were conducted with women (20), victims of domestic violence. The specially designed questionnaires for in depth interview envisaged identification of the following issues:

·        type of violence;

·        frequency of violence;

·        public attitude towards domestic violence;

·        elaboration of the methods of prevention.

The analysis of the obtained results revealed that 57% of respondents consider themselves victims as of domestic violence. Women listed the following reasons of husbands’ aggression towards wives: drunkenness (62%); different forms of manifestation of power (44%); verbal assault (42%). financial control (9%); isolation from the society (6%). 40% of respondents considered themselves to be the victims of physical violence. The following underlying reasons of physical violence were nominated: drunkenness (85%), problems of self-realization (6%),   incorrect upbringing (9%). 3% of the respondents considered themselves as victims of sexual violence.

The data on the frequency of the family violence varies in the respondents’ histories. It should be noted that respondents fail to determine the frequency of the manifestation of violence. Due to the permanent exposure to stress, violence is perceived as a natural typical phenomenon and only life-threatening incidents are controlled and memorized.

In depth interviews also aimed to determine emotional state and typical behavioural pattern of victims in the incidents of violence.

Fear was identified as the leading emotional state for 55% of respondents; aggressiveness was revealed among 32% and depression - among 13% of respondents. Based on the above results it could be stated that passiveness is general characteristic feature of victims of violence. It is manifested not only on the emotional but also on the behavioural level. In particular, typical behavioural pattern of victims during incidents of violence are: flight, avoidance, hiding, and enduring (85%). These findings were proved not only by the respondents, but also after the analysis of the data of the Consulting Centre.

Response and resistance towards violator during incidents of violence was characteristic of only  15% of respondents, which might have been not the primary, but acquired.

Ineffectiveness of interference in the family violence from the society was recognized unanimously. 90% of respondents consider that no one can help them with the problem, because “no one cares for my problem”; “I don’t want my close people (parents) to be aware about it”; “I hoped that his mother could support me, but she proved to be helpless, so I rely only on myself”. In the extreme situation the involvement of the specialist is possible to summon up the strength. Only 10% of respondents consider possible involvement of neighbours and friends. Majority of respondents consider that bringing domestic violence issue to public discussion could be justified, as they assume that family violence is global and stable phenomenon, but without the support from the side of society it is impossible to discuss concrete cases of violence. In addition to the non existence of the adequate public opinion regarding the issue, the unbelief towards the law enforcement bodies was listed as one of the reasons of tabooing family violence. That’s why nobody had addressed the police. Respondents consider the following as the means  of  domestic violence prevention:

- disclosure of the facts of domestic violence

-         elimination of  impunity

- correct upbringing

- involvement   of professionals         

Hence, the results confirmed the following:

-         non involvement of the society, means that the society has not formed its position on the family violence;

-         The victims accept the roles and functions assigned to them by the society. This is manifested in their behaviour and emotional state.

-         In such a situation destruction of patriarchal stereotypes is possible on individual and not on the society level.