Battered Women: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Across Cultures
Introduction
Domestic violence against women is a major public health issue that has been documented in many cultures around the world. This type of violence is commonly referred to as “battered women” and refers to any physical, sexual, or psychological violence against a woman by her current or former partner or spouse. The prevalence of this phenomenon varies by country and region and is often underreported due to social stigma. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the prevalence of battered women across different cultures.
Methods
A systematic review of studies that included an assessment of the prevalence of battered women across different cultures was conducted. A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library databases using the terms “battered women”, “domestic violence”, “intimate partner violence”, “spousal abuse” and “wife abuse”. The search was further limited to studies published in English from 2000 to 2020. Studies that did not include information on the prevalence of battered women were excluded.
Results
A total of 32 articles were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of battered women varied significantly among countries and regions. In the United States, the prevalence of battered women was estimated to be between 8 and 33.3%. In Europe, the prevalence ranged from 3.7% to 53.3%. In Asia, the prevalence ranged from 8.3% to 54%. In Africa, the prevalence ranged from 8.4% to 56.3%.
Discussion
The results of this systematic review demonstrate that the prevalence of battered women varies significantly across different cultures. The factors that contribute to this variation are not fully understood. However, it is clear that the issue of battered women is a global problem that requires further research and interventions to address.
Conclusion
This systematic review demonstrates that the prevalence of battered women varies significantly across different cultures. Further research is needed to understand the factors that contribute to this variation and to develop interventions to address this issue.
References
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