Open AccessHow common is domestic violence against women? The definition of partner abuse in prevalence studies
Author(s) -
Hegarty Kelsey,
Roberts Gwenneth
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-842x.1998.tb01144.x
Subject(s) - domestic violence , psychological abuse , physical abuse , poison control , occupational safety and health , suicide prevention , injury prevention , psychiatry , medicine , sexual abuse , human factors and ergonomics , minor (academic) , psychology , environmental health , political science , pathology , law
We systematically reviewed studies of the prevalence of domestic violence. Selected overseas community studies were compared with all Australian prevalence studies found to be published. Twelve‐month prevalence estimates of partner abuse in Australia varied from 2.1 per cent to 28.0 per cent, depending mainly on the definition of domestic violence used in each study. Implications of the lack of a precise definition result in varying operationalised definitions of partner abuse, from all types of violence in relationships (including a single minor violent incident), through to only those violent incidents that are classified as a crime. Recommendations for any future prevalence studies in this field include the need to collect frequency data which reflected the fact that partner abuse against women is a complex behavioural phenomenon involving emotional, physical and sexual abuse against a partner, not just simply physical incidents. ( Aust N Z J Public Health 1998; 22: 49–54)