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Results for violence against women (portugal)

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Author: Ferreira-Alves, Jose

Title: Prevalence Study of Violence and Abuse Against Older Women: Results of the Portugal Survey (AVOW Project)

Summary: Overall, 39.4% of women aged 60 and over living in private households reported experiencing some form of mistreatment in the past twelve months. The most common types of mistreatment were: emotional or psychological abuse (32.9%); followed by financial abuse (16.5%); violation of personal rights (12.8%); neglect (9.9%) sexual abuse (3.6%) and physical abuse (2.8%). The mistreatment severity encompasses four levels and compounds the number of indicators of abuse and neglect present and the frequency of the abusive and neglect actions: Level I, single indicator and seldom; Level IIa, several indicators and seldom; Level IIb, single indicators and very often and Level III, several indicators and very often. The majority of the mistreatment situated in level IIa (19.4%), followed by level III (10.5%), level I (8.2%) and level IIb (1.3%). The partner/spouse were the most common observed perpetrator in emotional (55%), financial (38.7%), sexual abuse (79.2%) and violation of rights (65%). The child(ren), daughter(s) and son(s)-in law were the principal perpetrators in neglect (54.7%) and physical abuse (42.1%) and the second most reported in emotional (31.7%) and violation of personal rights (20.3%). The most commonly reported effects of mistreatment were, respectively, "tension" (87.7%), "feelings of powerlessness" (87%), "depression" (73%) and "sleeping difficulties or nightmares" (71.2%). The relation between quality of life and having experienced different types of mistreatment is clear. Quality of life is always perceived as being higher when no abuse experience is present and regarding all forms of mistreatment. Furthermore, as more severe the level of abuse so less rated is quality of life. From the total of women who experience abuse in the past year, 26.1% reported the incident or sought help. Respondents mainly reported the incident to a family member (17.9%), a friend (14.5%), a health professional (6.3%), a priest (4.8%) and the professional care worker (2.9%). Several variables were found to be significantly related to overall abuse and different levels of abuse severity: age: respondents in the most aged group (80 years and over) were more likely, when mistreated, to experience the most severe level of abust (Level III); physical health: women perceiving poor physical health were more likely to experience neglect, emotional abuse, violation of rights and the most severe level of abuse; mental health: women reporting symptoms of depression, in comparison to those reporting good mental health, were more likely to experience any type of mistreatment. Also, women stating symptoms of depression experience more, the most severe levels of abuse; marital status: married women and separated or divorced are more likely to be emotionally abused rather than widowed or single; household income management: women who perceived their management of the household income has badly experienced more neglect, emotional and financial abuse and violation of rights. Additionally, as the severity levels of abuse increases so did the reporting of household income management as being badly. Women experiencing any form of mistreatment stated higher feelings of social loneliness than non mistreated women. Also, as the severity levels of abuse heightens so does the reporting of feelings of loneliness. Women experiencing neglect and physical abuse tend to, when facing stressful situation employ different coping strategies: less active coping and more the behavioral disengagement strategy. In addition, women reporting to have been sexually abused seek less emotional support than the respondents who did not experience this form of mistreatment.

Details: Portugal: Minho University, Braga, 2011. 59p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 6, 2012 at http://www.thl.fi/thl-client/pdfs/5da64923-9fcb-4865-8f0b-0302e1002127

Year: 2011

Country: Portugal

URL: http://www.thl.fi/thl-client/pdfs/5da64923-9fcb-4865-8f0b-0302e1002127

Shelf Number: 124384

Keywords:
Elder Abuse (Portugal)
Violence Against Women (Portugal)