Domestic Violence Among Iraqi Refugees in Syria

Abstract

A domestic violence questionnaire was administered to 701 adult females in a sample of 813 Iraqi households in Syria; unmarried women and women whose husbands were away were excluded, yielding a final sample of 486. Lifetime physical, verbal, or emotional abuse was reported by 30%, and approximately 20% experienced abuse within the past year. Non-Damascus residence, children <18 years in the household, no financial challenges upon arrival, and borrowing money in Syria were associated with increased risk of domestic violence within the past year. Support services are inadequate and should be expanded; and longer-term prevention measures also should be implemented.

Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was provided by the Center for Refugee and Disaster Response at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Notes

For a detailed explanation of the sampling methodology see Doocy et al. (2011).