Violence against women, children, housemaids and the elderly is increasing, a study conducted by the Family Protection Society has revealed. The study also showed that only 2 percent of violence cases are reported and the remaining are considered “private matter” and never come to light, Al-Madina reported on Monday. Dr. En'aam Al-Rabou'ee, chairman of the Family Protection Society, noted in a scientific working paper that tackling the phenomenon of increasing violence in society requires professional competence. She said only 55 cases of teens affected by violence were reported last year. She said most cases of abusing children under the age group of 10-17 occur in the western, eastern and the central regions of the Kingdom. She said psychological abuse is widespread. In her working paper, Dr. Al-Rabou'ee said 91 percent of young children are victims of physical abuse. She said family violence cases are found not only in the Kingdom. “It is an international phenomenon, she said, indicating that annually there are three million cases of child abuse and negligence in the United States. The reasons for not reporting a case could include the victim considering the incident as a private family matter, she said. She also cited a field study conducted in the Kingdom by Dr. Abdullah Al-Yousuf, Dr. Saleh Al-Romaih, and Abdul Majeed Naiyazi, which showed that domestic violence is increasing. A similar study by Dr. Sa'ad Al-Zahrani said 21 percent of the abuse cases involving boys in 10-17 age group continue to torment the young boys. Poverty, unemployment, large families and school dropout cases are the main reason of family violence, Dr. Abdullah Al-Yousuf's study showed. The American statistics on child abuse, based on data from 44 states, indicated that 80 percent of child abuse perpetrators are parents, 10 percent are relatives, 2 percent are people recruited for the victim's care and only 5 percent are strangers. According to the World Health Organization, an abuser seeks controlling the victim through physical, sexual, psychological and economic threats, and through acts that cause social isolation and deprivation. Cultural values and social standards play a major role in justifying violence. __
