NCJ Number
206285
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 10 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2004 Pages: 729-748
Date Published
July 2004
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the methodology and findings of the first Israeli National Survey of Family Violence, which was conducted in 2000 and 2001 to ascertain the frequency and severity of violence against women in Israel as well as some major risk factors associated with such violence.
Abstract
The survey used a stratified probability sample drawn from the general population in Israel. The response rate of women who were available and met the survey criteria was approximately 70 percent, and the response rate of men who were partners of women who responded to the survey was approximately 90 percent. The survey involved 2,544 households, with 2,092 having only women respondents and 452 having both men and women respondents (a total of 904 respondents). The questionnaire measured the prevalence and types of abuse under the following categories: verbal aggression (cursing, insulting, yelling); psychological/emotional abuse (threatening, controlling, domineering, attempts to isolate the women, and limiting access to resources); physical assault (breaking things, moderate physical violence, and severe physical violence); and sexual assault (forced intercourse). Respondents were asked about the frequency of these behaviors in the previous 12 months and whether they had ever previously occurred. Respondents were also asked whether these forms of aggression had occurred in the woman's family of origin. The context of the violence was assessed with questions about causes, predictors, and outcomes. Subjects' attitudes about men's violence against women were also measured. The survey found that approximately 13 percent (n=348) of the surveyed women had been exposed to some form of physical violence or violence against property, and approximately 6 percent (n=157) of the women had been subject to physical violence in the previous 12 months. The survey indicated that most of the women in Israel had been subjected to various forms of emotional abuse in the previous 12 months, with 56 percent being exposed to shouting and screaming and 20.8 percent exposed to cursing and humiliation. The most prevalent form of men's controlling behavior was the attempt to stop one's partner from interacting with other men, which involved attempting to control her movements and interactions. A comparison of the demographic characteristics of men and women from violent and nonviolent families found that violent men were younger than nonviolent men, and their level of education was lower. This was also true for the battered women. The lowest level of violence was among the Jewish families, and the highest level was among the Muslims. The battered women were more traditional than the nonbattered women, who were either secular or orthodox. A higher percentage of religious men were found in the violent group than in the nonviolent group. Battered women were employed less outside their homes than nonbattered women, and a higher percentage of unemployed men were found in the violent group. Approximately half of the men and half of the women agreed that the violent man is not to be held solely responsible for his violent behavior, and there was a clear tendency to view intimate violence as a private matter and to attribute it to a loss of control that does not warrant criminal justice intervention. When compared with the United States, Israel has a relatively low prevalence of domestic violence, particularly the more severe forms of violence; however, the verbal abuse, threats, and controlling behaviors are considerably higher in Israel than in the United States. 5 tables and 26 references