Background and Aims:
Physical violence against women is a major public health issue worldwide, and it is associated with serious effects on the health of victims. The aim of this study is to explore physical violence among married women in Saudi Arabia, by describing the frequency, severity, and consequences of this violence. Exploring the victim’s reaction to the violence is also one of the objectives of this study.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2020 to June 2020. The data was collected using an electronic survey that was distributed using social media.
Results:
352 (15.6%) of the participants reported that they have been subjected to physical violence by their husbands at least once. Approximately half (45.9%) of the women who experienced physical violence were abused in front of their children. The majority of abused women have said that their husbands’ violence affected their physical or mental health (92.4%). 81% of abused women in this study did not ask for help from specialized services. The most common reasons for not asking for help were because victims were afraid that they will lose their children (38.3%), bring shame to the family (28.2%), or that they were afraid of divorce (24.3%).
Conclusion:
Findings from this study suggest an urgent need for policymakers to facilitate reporting domestic violence and helping the victims. Also, domestic violence awareness campaigns in the community would be beneficial. Moreover, domestic screening programs should be implanted in healthcare settings to identify possible victims.
Key words: Intimate partner violence, domestic violence, Saudi Arabia, physical abuse
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