NCJ Number
216161
Journal
Trauma, Violence & Abuse: A Review Journal Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2006 Pages: 244-259
Date Published
October 2006
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article provides an overview of spousal abuse in Egypt in terms of its nature, the criminal justice response, available services that deal with spousal abuse, and its impact on individual women, the family, and society in general.
Abstract
The article reports that spousal abuse is prevalent (33-11 percent) in Egypt. Spousal abuse is mostly physical, but both psychological and sexual abuses also exist. The risk factors associated with spousal abuse include age of the wife, the economic status of the family, and the wealth and education of the wife. These factors contribute to the prevalence, frequency, and severity of the abuse. Reporting spousal abuse in Egypt is still shrouded by the idea that this is a private family issue. This poses problems in the policing of spousal abuse and in reporting it. This is compounded by the women’s perception of both victim blaming and precipitation. Research has shown that many women feel that abuse is often justified because the women must have done something to deserve such abuse. Little data is available on the impact of spousal abuse on the individual woman, families, and society in general. There has also been no research conducted on gynecological disorders resulting from spousal abuse. There is no systematic research on the impact of spousal abuse on children. Domestic violence in Egypt shares a number of features identified globally. Since the beginning of 2000, Egypt has seen a number of legal, organizational, and political changes. This article provides a profile of domestic violence in Egypt in terms of its nature (prevalence, forms, risk factors, and reporting), the criminal justice response to it, available services that deal with it, and the impact of this form of violence on the individual woman, the family, and society in general. This profile enables the measurement over time of strategies that influence change and reduce violence against women. This article is based on published and unpublished studies, United Nations reports, nonprofit organizations’ publications, and newspaper articles as a supplement. References