MANAMA, 15 August 2004 — A recent study revealed that 30 percent of Bahraini women were subjected to various forms of violence by their husbands — in many instances in the presence of their children and the knowledge of their family members.
The study also showed that the percentage of battered wives in Bahrain was equal to that of their counterparts in other parts of the world, suggesting that the problem was not confined to geographic, religious or social borders.
Dr. Banna BuZabun, a specialist in clinical psychology and education counseling at the BDF Hospital, said 30 percent of women had been subjected to violence by their husbands more than once, a percentage equal to that of their counterparts in Britain, and is close to that in Canada (29) and Nicaragua (28).
The study covered 650 women of varying ages, social strata and educational standards.
The study also showed that the level of violence in arranged marriages was lower than that of marriages that were based on love affairs where the percentage of violence against women was as high as 34.
It also revealed that the older the wife was the greater the chance of her being subject to violence, but the percentage was also high in the early years of marriage.
The study also disclosed that 95 percent of children witness the violence their fathers inflict on their mothers, and that leads to psychological problems among children.
Referring to the nature of violence, Dr. BuZabun said there was verbal, physical, psychological and moral violence.
The study found that more than 40 percent of battered women had been subjected to more than one form of violence at the same time.
The study also showed that 14 percent of battered wives had been subject to insults and abuse, 10 percent to light beating, 8 percent had been deprived of essentials, 8.4 percent had their freedom curtailed and were threatened with beating, and 3.4 percent had been expelled from home.
Only one case of attempted killing was recorded.
With regard to the wives’ view on the reason they have been battered, 38 percent said there was more than one reason at the same time, 17 percent said it was jealousy, 15 percent cited economic reasons, 9 percent said it was alcohol, 4 percent said it was marriage to another wife, 2 percent said it was miserliness and 2 percent said it was the increase in the number of children.
