Statistics Estonia has published the results of the largest and most comprehensive relationship survey in Estonia, which looked at violence against both men and women in intimate relationships and found that 41 per cent of women in Estonia have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
According to the survey, 39 per cent of women have experienced psychological violence, 13 per cent physical violence (including threats) and nine per cent sexual violence. Young women aged 18-29 are the most likely to have experienced violence, while older women (aged 65-74) are the least likely.
Psychological violence the biggest problem
Jana Bruns, a project manager at Statistics Estonia, the country’s official data agency, said 29 per cent of women had felt humiliated, degraded or insulted by their partner, either in private or in front of other people.
“23 per cent say their interaction with another man or woman has led to the woman’s partner becoming angry or having unfounded suspicions of infidelity,” Bruns said, adding that 19 per cent of women have experienced behaviour in a relationship that frightens or intimidates them, such as their partner shouting or breaking things.
A slightly smaller proportion of women (16 per cent) say their partner has limited their contact with friends or stopped them from pursuing hobbies or other activities. 13 per cent say that their partner has monitored their movements, ie tracked them via GPS, phone or social networks.
Although women are most likely to experience psychological violence, some have experienced physical violence, with 16 per cent of women saying they have been deliberately pushed, shoved or had their hair pulled in a way that hurt or frightened them. Thirteen per cent said their partner had deliberately thrown something at them or hit them in a way that hurt or frightened them, and 12 per cent had been frightened by threats of harm.
In terms of the frequency of violence, the unfortunate fact is that once it has occurred in some form, there are significantly more victims who experience it repeatedly.
Alcohol is a major factor
Among women who have experienced intimate partner violence, 80 per cent report that the perpetrator was a former partner.
Women with less education are more vulnerable. “Of those with higher education, 38 per cent have experienced intimate partner violence. Among women with basic education, the figure is even ten per cent higher – 48 per cent,” says Jana Bruns. Unemployed women are also slightly more likely to experience violence (52 per cent) than employed women (42 per cent).
Alcohol also has a strong influence on the dynamics of relationships. “Almost half of the violent episodes, 44 per cent, occur when a woman’s partner has consumed alcohol,” the project manager noted.
More than half of the women (56 per cent) who had experienced intimate partner violence in the last five years reported it to someone.
The relationship study also found that 32 per cent of men, or one in three men in Estonia, have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
Domestic and partner violence is any form of psychological, physical, sexual or economic violence that occurs between people who are or have been in a close relationship, including relatives. Anyone can experience domestic violence, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, race or sexual orientation.
