BASIC CONCLUSIONS

 The Women’s Advice Center “Sakhli” has carried out the study/research, aimed at revealing the attitude towards domestic violence and developing recommendations for future activities. The research is very important from the point of view of defining forms and manifestations of violence, as well as for developing trends of rehabilitation activities on the basis of gender parameters.

As domestic violence mainly occurs in the family, between married couple – husbands and wives and parents and children, it differs from other forms of violence by its closed  space and repeated character. Domestic violence  oversteps the limits of family and turns into terrifying social problem, as the violence model, developed in the family, involves not only conflict couple, but all members of the family. In spite of direct non-interference in the conflict, all family members become passive victims of violence. Young generation-children suffer most of all, as violence becomes for them an acceptable form of relationships with others and with environment. If  domestic violence affects the psychic in the childhood, later it is reflected in all behaviors of the adult person, as alternative, cooperative behavior model was not developed in the personality from the very beginning.
Hence, domestic violence is not  a private, intimate problem. It becomes a social problem and  the  recognition  of its urgency  depends  on  to what extent the individual factors are taken into consideration by the culture  and human rights are protected by the society and state.
According  to the carried out research, in Georgia  domestic violence is not regarded as a social problem in spite of the seeming emancipation of the society. This has great impact on the development of the public opinion on domestic violence. It is still considered as a private concern.

Having considered results of the research, the following conclusions were made: domestic violence is not considered as disapproving, unacceptable phenomenon. The violators image is identified with the image of a patron, owner- rather acceptable and acknowledged phenomenon for the society. This is one of the characteristic features of masculine, traditional attitude. Such approach to the issue will greatly affect defining further trends of investigation violence phenomenon.

Findings of the “Domestic Violence – Study of Gender attitudes” could summarized as follows:
• 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 more realized by women than men;
• Characterological, personality features are considered as provoking factors of domestic violence rather then socio-cultural factors;
• Preservation of a conflictual 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;
• 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 contradictory: attitude towards domestic violence and its evaluation greatly depend  on the age, education, family status and economic condition.

Taking into consideration all the above said, specialists working on domestic violence issue  can give the following recommendations:
1. Refining legislation bases.
Introduction of legislative changes should be preceded by elaboration of the common position towards the problem by different specialists (psychologists, lawyers, sociologists, police staff and journalists)
2. Educational activities.
At the initial stage discussion on domestic violence and promotion of the problem should be carried out by qualified specialists with  adequate professional and work experience.
3. Developing of networking.
Centers  and organizations, working on the issue of domestic violence should coordinate their activities on the basis of the jointly elaborated strategic plan of action.
4. Raising public awareness.
Dissemination of the literature on domestic violence, activation of the role of mass media, informing public on the existence of the consulting centers and preventive measures on domestic violence.

(Georgian version)