Study on domestic violence:: a legal medicine perspective

The present study is a part of a larger national research project no.8687/2006 "A National study on Domestic Violence in Romania: medico-legal, juridical and sociological characteristics identifying new assistence and action directives in the European integration perspective" 2006-2008. The study was conducted in the premises of the National Institute of Legal Medicine Mina Minovici Bucharest NUM, in the new create Unit of Psychological and Sociological Asistence. Partners in the project and the current study come from the Centre for Urban and Regional Sociology (CURS), University of Bucharest Faculty of Sociology-Dept. of Sociology, Romanian Academy Institute of Sociology, Romanian Academy Institute for Juridical Research and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, Dept. of Legal Medicine. Persons participating to the project were all declared victims of domestic violence. In Romanian Legal Medicine clinical legal medicine examinations are performed only in the legal medicine system. All persons were informed of their rights and asked to complete a fully informed consent form. A comparative study was done on domestic violence cases addressed to the NILM in 2003 and 2007. All victims received a short questionnaire (sociologic questionnaire no. 1, 16 items) and at the consulting activities an extended questionnaire (sociologic and psychological questionnaire no.2, 61 items). Domestic violence decreased in 2007 vs. 2003 as much as comparative with the total number of agression cases: female : male 12,70% : 9,01%. We found out 788 declared victims of domestic violence (11,78% from all cases, 9,49 from all hetero-aggressions). Female/male ratio 18,7. Mean age of victims is 40 years old with a normal distribution for women. 70,43% off all victims accepted to fill in the sociologic questionnaire no.1. 114 cases (14,46%) accepted to enter into project in a more deep research filling in the sociologic and psychological questionnaire no.2: these persons benefit from consulting, advices, addresses and contacts toward police, governmental/nongovernmental agencies for protecting women and children, shelters, etc. Low to medium severity injuries are to be seen (ecchymosis in more than 80%). The vast majority of cases needed 2-5 days medical care days period. However bone fractures have been seen also (1,26%) and are intense injuries. Strong similarities are to be seen in type and topographic distribution of traumatic injuries in 2003 and 2007. Socio-economic costs were evaluated also and a medium case cost (M-cc) was calculated. Medium cost/case, M-cc, for the most frequent social categories analysis reveals that people with higher monthly income do have higher domestic violence associated costs. M-cc in our study is is an element of 122 variable with the diagnostic, social status or profession.