the measurement of violence against women in surveys: communalities and differences

United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeStatistical DivisionUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeStatistical Division

The measurement of Violence Against Women in surveys:

communalities and differences

Angela Me, Chief Social and Demographic Statistics Section

Roma, 10-12 December 2007 Slide 2

‘Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in,

physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats

of violence, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring

in public or private life.’


ColombiaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorGuatemalaHonduras

HaitiMexicoNicaraguaParaguayPeruPuerto-RicoUruguay

CanadaUSA

AlbaniaAzerbaijanFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyItalyLithuania

NorwayRepublic of MoldovaRomaniaSwedenSwitzerlandUkraineUK

MalawiSouth AfricaZambia

Egypt

AustraliaCambodiaChinaIndiaPhilippinesRepublic of KoreaSamoa

Countries with national-level data available for last 15 yearson physical assaults on women by a male partner - 37 countries

Source: "In-depth Study on All Forms of Violence Against Women", Report of the Secretary-General, 2006


Specialized Surveys

More comprehensive More accurate – larger

sample size – better training

Higher reporting rates More expensive Ad-hoc activity

Module on on-going surveys

Cheaper More regular More limited in the

scope of studying VAW Less attention to VAW

Population-based sample surveys


UNECE Survey of Surveys

Analysis of

17 countries

25 surveys


Australia NSO Spec/Mod Mexico NSO Specialized

Canada NSO Spec/Mod New Zealand Specialized

Denmark Min. Specialized Norway Specialized

Finland Min Specialized Spain Women Specialized

France INED Specialized Sweden Women Specialized

Germany Research Specialized Switzerland Research Specialized

Italy NSO Spec/mod UK HO Module

Lithuania Women Specialized USA NSO/Res Spec/Mod

National Surveys in the “extended” ECE


Prevalence of Sexual assault-sexual violence in women

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Australia,2002

Canada,2004

France,2000

Germany,2003

Italy, 2002 Spain,2002

UK, 2001


Differences-Communalities

• What type of violence to cover • Intimate partner violence• Sexual abuse and rape• Incest• Emotional abuse• Child abuse• Abuse of domestic workers• Violence by members of the extended family• Economic violence• StalkingImportant to define what acts are considered violence


Proportion of women that reported violence within a relationship in the last 12 months in France

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Verbal abuse Emotionalblackmail

Repeatedpsychological

pressure

Physical abuse Rape and otherforced sexual acts

Source: Domenique Fougeyrollas-Schwebel, 2000 Enveff Survey


Physical violence

Finland: making threats of physical violence by telephone, letter, and/or face to face; physical assault such as hitting/beating, kicking, or making use of weapons.

Canada: threats of violence, hitting with fists or weapons, with or without physical injury.

IVAWS: the use of physical force with the intent to harm or frighten a woman, and physical attempts or threats, which refers to the verbal, and/or physical intent to inflict harm which the woman believed was able and likely to be carried out.


Sexual violence

Finland: sexually threatening behavior; attempt to have forced sex; and/or forcing to have sex. Sexual harassment was defined as “such male sexual behavior that is unwanted

Canada: any form of non-consensual or forced sexual activity or touching, including rape. The term “sexual assault” encompasses a wide range of criminal acts ranging from unwanted sexual touching to sexual violence involving weapons, and is categorized according to three levels of severity

IVAWS: any form of non-consensual or forced sexual activity or touching including rape. It is carried out against the woman’s will using physical or threatened force, intimidation or coercion. Includes sexual touching


Analysis of surveys

92% of the surveys: detailed questions on sexual violence

80% of surveys: included physiological abuse

80% dedicated surveys: included stalking

40% modules: included stalking


Type of violence by type of survey

Type of Survey Type of violence

Violence Against Women Surveys (15)

Victimisation Surveys (8)

Other Surveys (2)

Physical Violence N % N % N %

Pushed, grabbed, shoved 13 87% 6 75% 2 100%

Threatened to hit 10 67% 4 50% 2

Threw something 12 80% 5 62% 2

Slapped 12 80% 7 87% 2

Kicked, bit or hit 14 93% 6 75% 2

Hit with something 14 93% 5 62% 2

Beat up 11 73% 5 62% 2

Choked 13 87% 5 62% 2

Used or threatened with a gun or knife 13 87% 6 75% 2

Other 9 60% 5 62% 2

At least one indicator of physical violence 15 100% 7 87% 2 100%



Type of Survey

Type of violence



Other Surveys (2)

Psychological abuse: control 11 73% 3 37% 0 - including psychological harassment 4 27% 3 37% 0 Isolates her 11 73% 2 25% 0 Torments her constantly 3 20% 1 12% 0 Hinders her from visiting her family or to keep in touch with friends and neighbors

14 93% 3 37% 1

Ignores her or treated her indifferently 8 53% 1 12% 0 Gets angry when she spoke with another man

11 73% 1 12% 1 (DHS)

Expects her to ask permission before seeking health care for herself

1 7% 0 0

Decides what she can do or not do 4 27% 0 0 Emotional blackmail 4 27% 1 12% 0 Other 5 33% 3 37% 1 (DHS) Included at least one indicator of controlling behaviour

15 100% 4 50% 1 (DHS) 50%



Type of Survey

Type of violence



Other Surveys (2)

Psychological abuse: berating Verbal abuse 9 60% 2 25% 1 Humiliates her 10 67% 2 25% 1 Says that what she does is always wrong 4 27% 0 0 Doesn’t care about her needs (you have the worst place at home, the worst of the meals, etc.).

1 7% 1 12% 0

Blames her in front of her children 3 20% 0 0 Perpetrator has done things to scare or intimidate her on purpose

6 40% 1 12% 0

Perpetrator has threatened to hurt someone she cared about

12 80% 2 25% 1 (DHS)

Other 4 27% 1 12% 0 Included at least one indicator of berating 14 93% 4 50% 1 (DHS) 50%



Type of Survey Type of violence



Other Surveys (2)

Stalking Followed or spied on her 9 60% 4 50% 0 Sent her unsolicited letters /written correspondence

4 27% 4 50% 0

Made unsolicited phone calls to her 6 40% 4 50% 0 Stood outside her home, school, or workplace

5 33% 4 50% 0

Left unwanted items for her to find 1 7% 2 25% 0 Tried to communicate in other ways against her will

4 27% 3 37% 0

Vandalized her property or destroyed something she loved

7 47% 3 37% 0

Made direct or indirect threats to harm her, her children, relatives, friends or pets

7 47% 2 25% 0

Other 2 13% 4 50% 0 Included at least one indicator of stalking

12 80% 4 50% 0 0%



Type of Survey

Type of violence



Other Surveys (2)

Economic abuse Doesn’t value her work 1 7% 0 0 Refuses to let her go out to work 6 40% 0 0 Takes the money she earn 7 47% 1 12% 0 Does not pay his fair share of the household expenses

3 20% 0 0

Other 6 40% 1 12% 1 (DHS) Included at least one indicator of economic abuse

10 67% 2 25% 1 (DHS) 50%



• How to ask women about their experience with violence (questionnaire design)• Single direct questions or multiple behaviorally

specific questions (“Have you ever been slapped, kicked, or beaten?”). Behavior-based questions are considered more effective. Important to avoid words such as rape, abuse


• Carefully choose wording and the number of questions

• Ask about experiences with violence in behavioural terms

• Provide opportunities for disclosure

• Avoid single questions


Good Questionnaire Design

During the past five years, has your partner:1. threatened you with his/her fist or anything else that could have hurt you?2. thrown anything at you that could have hurt you?3. pushed, grabbed or shoved you in a way that could have hurt you?4. slapped you?5. kicked, bitten, or hit you with his/her fist?6. hit you with something that could have hurt you?7. beaten you?8. choked you?9. used or threatened to use a gun or knife on you?10. forced you into any unwanted sexual activity by threatening you, holding you down, or hurting you in some way?

Source: Measuring VAW: Statistical Trends 2006, Statistics Canada


• Reference period of victimization • Lifetime (used particularly for rape

and sexual abuse) • Previous 5 years, previous 12

months, previous 6 months• The shorter the period, the more

accurate are the data but larger the sample needs to be



Five-year and one-year rates of spousal violence in Canada, 1993, 1999 and 2004

12

3

8

3

7

2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

5 year 1 year

Sources:Statistics Canada, Violence Against Women Survey 1993; General Social Survey on Victimisation 1999 and 2004

1993

1999

2004


Analysis of surveys

The majority of dedicated surveys used “lifetime”, often jointly either with “one year” or with both “one year” and “five years”. For the surveys that only had a module on VAW, the most common time reference was instead “one-year”. One survey module (USA) used 6 months.


• Reference population

• 15-49

• 15 or 18 years and plus

• Only married or with partner

• Some studies cover men as well



Analysis of surveys

52% of the surveys did not have an upper age limit

44% of the surveys had age limits3 surveys included institutions9 surveys included also men (all but one-

USA- are modules)


• What to collect

• Perpetrators (relationship with the victimized woman)

• Injuries (very difficult to standardize it)



Perpetrators of physical violence against women, Germany, 2004

Partners, former partners, lovers

50.2

Acquaintances from work, training or school

15.8

Casual acquaintances 10.8

Unknown persons19.5

Professional caregivers, professional

helpers, others3.4

Friends, acquaintances,

neighbours11.8

Family members 30.1

Source: Health, Well-Being and Personal Safety of Women in Germany, A Representative Study of Violence against Women in Germany, Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Germany, 2004


13

21

29

34

44

0 10 20 30 40 50

Received medical attention

More than 10 separate incidents

Needed to take time off dailyactivities

Feared for her life

Injured

Percent

9

12

15

17

21

30

37

0 10 20 30 40 50

Afraid for children

Shame / guilt

Sleeping problems

Lowered self-esteem

Depressed / anxious

Fearful

Upset / confused

Percent

Impacts and consequences of spousal assaults

on women, Canada, 2004

Impacts and consequences of spousal assaults

on women, Canada, 2004

Refers to violence over the previous five years. Source: Statistics Canada, General Social Survey on Victimization 2004


Analysis of surveys

80% of the surveys included information about physical injuries

Great majority of the surveys asked information about the use or not of medical services

84% of the surveys asked victims about their search for help


Other issues… • Telescoping effect

• Sampling

• Non-responses

• Mode of data collection (increase reporting and assuring privacy)


ConclusionsMany differences …..BUT ….

Some communalities:

• avoidance of general definitions of violence and use of highly detailed and behaviour-specific questions,

• inclusion of physical and sexual violence as a minimum set,

• use of “lifetime” and “one year before the survey” as reference period.


International/Regional level

There is the need to build from the existing communalities in order to develop International/Regional Recommendations on how to measure VAW in official statistics


International/Regional level

A great deal of work has been already carried out at international level to develop standard survey modules (WHO, DHS, IVAWS)

Building on this work national statistical systems should be guided on how to design and carry out national surveys as part of official statistics for a sustainable collection of VAW statistics


Increased Attention and Commitment to tackle Gender Violence• Standard indicators to measure violence against women• Encourage national statistical offices to have a more active role in collecting and disseminating statistics in this area.


Gender-Based violence against women and men?

16

11

19

19

23

27

36

81

44

61

0

9

5

8

40

57

48

49

53

23

0 20 40 60 80 100

Sexually Assaulted

Used or threatened to use a gun or knife

Choked

Beat

Hit with something

Kicked, bit or hit

Slapped

Pushed, grabbed or shoved

Threw something

Threatened to hit

Per Cent over 5 Years

Men

Women19

10

11

10

44

13

10

29

21

34

2 e

2 e

0 10 20 30 40 50

Were physically injured

Received medical attention

Were hospitalized

Took time off daily activities

Experienced 10+ assaults

Feared for their lived

Percent of spousal victims

Female victims

Male victims

Figure 1: Types of spousal abuse experienced by women and men, Canada, 2004

Figure 2: Impact of Spousal Violence on Victims, Canada, 2004


Indicators

Physical violence: The proportion of women who experience severe or moderate physical

violence at least once during (the last year/lifetime) by perpetrators (intimate/other relative/other known person/stranger/state authority).

Sexual violence: The proportion of women who experience penetrative sex without

consent or other sexual violence without consent (one/few/many) time/s during (the last year/lifetime) by perpetrators (intimate/other relative/other known person/stranger/state authority).

Intimate partner violence: The proportion of women (who have ever had an intimate partner) who

experience physical or sexual violence at least once or often (>2 times) during (the last year/lifetime) by (current or former partner).

Harmful practices: Female genital mutilation/cutting Early marriage Female infanticide

the measurement of violence against women in surveys: communalities and differences

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