Men and Women in Europe are Equally Likely to be Victims of Domestic Violence, Research Shows

PRESS RELEASE

Rebecca Hain

Men and Women in Europe are Equally Likely to be Victims of Domestic Violence, Research Shows

January 4, 2023 – A compilation of 15 research studies conducted throughout Europe reveals that men and women are equally likely to be victims of physical domestic violence. The studies challenge the premise of the EU Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women — also known as the Istanbul Convention — which ignores the existence of female-on-male violence.

The studies show that overall, 15.2% of males and 14.8% of females report being victims of domestic violence in the past year. The studies were conducted on adolescents, university students, and adults. Research highlights:

Victimization rates were highest among adolescents. In Denmark for example, 13.1% of boys and 9.3% of girls reported being affected by dating violence in the previous year (1).
Among adults, men and women were victimized at similar rates. A British Home Office survey reported identical numbers: 4.2% males and 4.2% females (2).
Analyses of perpetration rates reached the same conclusion of gender parity. In Germany, one study found that 7.7% female university students, compared to only 6.1% of male students, had been perpetrators of partner violence in the past year (3).

Detailed study results can be viewed online (4). The studies were conducted in the following 19 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Even though domestic violence rates between the sexes are similar throughout Europe, the EU Istanbul Convention uses the phrase, “violence against women,” 56 times, while “violence against men” is not mentioned. (5)

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights emphasizes that “Equality between women and men must be ensured in all areas” (Article 23) (6). Accordingly, the Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance – DAVIA — urges the European Union to follow the science and promptly make needed changes to the text of the Istanbul Convention.

Members of the European Parliament and Member State lawmakers are invited to contact the Council of Europe to express your concerns: https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/form

The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance – DAVIA — consists of 71 member organizations from 25 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. DAVIA seeks to ensure that domestic violence and abuse polices are science-based, family-affirming, and sex-inclusive. https://endtodv.org/davia/

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