Background
Domestic violence is a large-scale phenomenon that affects women, men, children and senior citizens. Over the past decade, the emerging public protest against femicide has attracted growing attention to domestic violence and its effects on Israeli society.
In 2020, the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute Outcomes Team conducted a study on domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis and its risk factors.[1] The findings were presented to the Chairpersons Committee of the National Program for Prevention and Treatment of Domestic Violence. The committee members requested a more focused examination of specific population groups and a more thorough analysis of risk factors in order to help understand the phenomenon in specific contexts that are relevant to the work of their ministries.
Objectives
- Conduct in-depth analyses of the domestic violence phenomenon among specific population groups: Arabs, new immigrants, LGBTQs, and people with disabilities.
- Conduct advanced statistical analysis for an in-depth examination of the correlations between various types of domestic violence and their risk factors.
Main Findings and Recommendations
- Compared to the general Israeli population, the incidence of domestic violence of all types is higher among Arabs, LGBTQs and people with disabilities (and even more so among people with multiple disabilities). It is therefore essential to examine the suitability and accessibility of existing services for these groups, and if necessary, develop better tailored and more accessible services for them.
- Belonging to the Arab population predicts an increase in domestic violence of all types. Therefore, particular attention must be devoted to developing tailored services for this population and making them culturally accessible.
- Among the groups examined, a correlation was found between domestic violence of all kinds (apart for sexual violence) and dissatisfaction with family and social relations, with life in general, and with household economic situation. This finding is important for efforts to reach out to those groups and better focus the interventions.
- Lack of privacy is a risk factor predictive of all types of domestic violence. This must be noted when working with population groups at higher risk for domestic violence, or with clients who are subjected to domestic violence.
For MJB’s publications on the COVID-19 pandemic in English, press here.
For MJB’s publications on the COVID-19 pandemic in Hebrew, press here.
[1] Arazi, T., & Reznikovesky-Kuras, A. (2020). Domestic violence in the shadow of the COVID-19 crisis (Hebrew). M-21-189. Myers-JDC-Brookdale.