Domestic Violence against Women

This document is one of a series of technical notes that describe the nature and magnitude of violence in the region, its causes and effects, and how it can be prevented and controlled. The notes provide useful information on designing programs and policies to prevent and deal with violence. This note focuses on domestic violence against women. The author states that governments and international organizations have recently started to look for ways to reduce the incidence of this type of violence and it is now apparent that a coordinated effort must be made in order to provide an effective and comprehensive response to families affected by domestic violence. The technical note discusses what domestic violence is, the magnitude of the problem, the risk factors associated with domestic violence, and ways of prevention and control.