El entorno social del maltrato a la mujer por su pareja

Resum

In this article, the social context in which women are abused by their partner is analyzed. The sample comprises 261 women who were, or who had been, abused by their partner, aged between 17 and 67 years (mean age 34.2, standard deviation 9.6). Out of them, 53% had suffered physical and psychological abuse; 33% physical, psychological, and sexual abuse; 11% psychological abuse; and 3% psychological and sexual abuse. Their age at the onset of the abuse ranged between 13 and 50 years, with a mean age of 23.5 years, standard deviation 6.3 years. The duration of the abuse suffered varied from a few months to 42 years (mean duration 9.6 years, standard deviation 9.4 years). Both the abused women and their aggressors had very diverse educational and work levels. Likewise, the number of children and the couple’s civil status varied, as did the size of the towns and the type of neighborhood where they lived. Variability was also found in family and neighbor environments and, although some aggressors and their victims maintained no contact either with their families or their neighbors, in other cases, their family and neighbor relations were normal or good.