Prevalence and pattern of domestic violence at the Center for Forensic Medical Services in Pekanbaru, Indonesia
Abstract: Domestic violence
(DV) is still a significant public health problem, especially in women’s
health. Few studies have reported the prevalence and domestic violence in
Indonesia. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence, type of violence,
and forensic examination on domestic violence victims in emergency departments.
Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of domestic violence
victims observed in the Emergency Department at the Bhayangkara Hospital,
Pekanbaru, Indonesia, between 2010 and 2014. The determinations of DV cases are
based on the medico-legal reports (visum et repertum) and the police’s official
inquiry letters.
Results: Out of 6,876 medico-legal injury reports of living victims were
reviewed, and 755 (10,9%) cases were DV. The majority of victims in DV were
women (93.8%) with childbearing age group as the highest frequency (77.9%).
Most of the DV victims were housewives (67.0%). Moreover, physical assault was
the most common DV types (98.7%). Bruise was the predominant type of wound
among the DV victims (76.2%), and almost half of the victims had abrasions
(48.1%). Head and limbs were the predominant sites of wound. Blunt injury was
found in more than three-quarters of the victims (88.5%).
Conclusion: The prevalence of domestic violence was high among living
victims in the emergency department, with women as the majority of victims.
Keywords: domestic violence;
forensic examination finding; prevalence; women; wound
Author: Dedi Afandi, Mohammad
T. Indrayana, Iriandanu Nugraha, Dinda Danisha
Journal Code: jpkedokterangg170228
