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Domestic Violence in Cross-Border Marriages: A Systematic Review

Md Said MHB, Emmanuel Kaka G

Trauma Violence Abuse, 2023 Jul;24(3):1483-1502.
PMID: 35232287 DOI: 10.1177/15248380221074321

Cross-border marriages have been found to be associated with domestic violence due to the migration experiences of the couples concerned and the stress experienced before, during, and after migration, despite local and international legislation on domestic violence. A systematic review using the PRISMA Statement was conducted to examine the relationship between domestic violence and cross-border marriages among cross-border wives from Asian countries. Six databases-Taylor & Francis Online, Wiley Online, Scopus, Web of Science, Sage Journals, and Springer Online library, were used in the research which found 179 articles for eligibility and 58 articles were finally used in the review. To be included, studies must have addressed domestic violence and cross-border marriage among Asians, report qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, addressed the RQs, been published in polished English between 2010 and 2020 and published in a reputable journal with high impact factor. The systematic review found that immigration status, citizenship, culture, language barrier, diversity/intersectionality, age, and economic dependence are the risk factors for domestic violence, which leads effects such as divorce or separation, racism, loneliness, loss of identity & inheritance, stigma, abandonment, and discrimination. Yet these cross-border wives resorted to NGOs, social & religious groups, and traditional beliefs as coping strategies. The review suggests that legislations on domestic violence should be amended to include a definition of the rights of immigrant women, and the plight of cross-border wives, which should be protected. It is also imperative to propose favorable laws and policies regarding immigration status and citizenship for these cross-border couples.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence*
Fulltext A battered wife

Woon TH, George S

Med J Malaysia, 1980 Mar;34(3):281-4.
PMID: 7412668

A forty-four year old wife of an alcoholic husband with irregular employment sought repeated medical care for her headache, bodyache, chest pain and alleged falls at home. The family backgrounds of the battered wife and the violent husband, his alcoholism and their financial problems all contributed to the violence in marriage. Their six children had lived in fear and two of them had behaviour problems. Awareness of the multiple problems associated with a battered wife should prompt cooperation between medical, social and other workers involved in the management.

Study site: medical outpatients clinic of
T.H. Woon
M.B., B.S., M.D., M.R.A.N.Z.C.P.
Associate Professor and Head
Department of Psychological Medicine
Faculty of Medicine
University of Malaya
Kuala Lumpur, 22-11
and
Shirley George
M.B., B.S., M.P.M.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatric Unit
General Hospital, Seremban.
Running Title:
Battered wife - psychodynamics and social background of a
Malaysian family - alcoholic husband - medical symptoms -
multidisciplinary management.
University Hospital to the psychiatric Walk- inClinic

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence*
Unmasking domestic violence: Examining victim and perpetrator characteristics and injury patterns in Kuching, Sarawak

Chew KS, Wong SSL, Siew KL, Kandasamy V

Med J Malaysia, 2024 Mar;79(2):128-132.
PMID: 38553915

INTRODUCTION: Domestic violence (DV) is a pervasive social and public health issue affecting millions globally, regardless of age, gender or socioeconomic background. Understanding victim and perpetrators' characteristics as well as the DV injury patterns are essential for developing targeted interventions and prevention strategies. Although past DV studies have often focused on female victims, it is increasingly recognised that DV affects a significant proportion of male victims as well. This study aimed to comprehensively examine both male and female DV victims and perpetrators, as well as the anatomical regions affected in DV cases in Kuching, Sarawak, so that a deeper understanding of DV within this community can be enhanced.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted from March 2021 to March 2023, involving adult DV victims aged 18 years and above admitted to the One Stop Crisis Center (OSCC) of Sarawak General Hospital. Data were collected from the OSCC clerking sheet, focusing on the victims, perpetrators and the violence characteristics.
RESULTS: A total of 133 DV victims were analysed, with 25.6% being male victims. Although majority of the perpetrators in cases involving male victims were male perpetrators, there was a significantly higher number of female perpetrators in these male DV cases (i.e., 5 out of 34 cases,14.7%) compared to in female DV cases (4 out of 99 cases, 4.0%) (p = 0.05). The commonest type of relationship between the victims and perpetrators was spouses or ex-spouses (56.4%). Male victims had more cases involving weapons (67.6%) compared to female victims (26.3%), p < 0.001. The most affected anatomical region was the head and neck (63.9%) region although no significant differences were observed.
CONCLUSION: The study reveals that DV affects individuals across all societal classes and income groups. Although weapons were used more frequently in male DV cases, other injury characteristics and affected anatomical regions were not significantly different between genders, suggesting female perpetrators can inflict similar injuries as male perpetrators. Subgroup analysis showed that the majority of male victims faced abuse from their children or grandchildren, hinting at hidden geriatric abuse, that should be unmasked and treated as a separate entity.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence*
Fulltext Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Pregnancy: A Body with Two Lives

Kho GS, Abdullah JM

Malays J Med Sci, 2018 Sep;25(5):151-157.
PMID: 30914871 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2018.25.5.14

Traumatic brain injury is the major contributing factor in non-obstetric mortality in developing countries. Approximately 20% of maternal mortality is directly correlated to injuries. Road traffic accidents and domestic violence are the most common nonlethal injuries that can threaten either the maternal or foetal life, and such events occur in one out of every 12 pregnancies. The treatment of severe traumatic brain injury in pregnancy requires a multidisciplinary team approach. The management of a pregnant trauma patient warrants consideration of several issues specific to pregnancy, such as the alterations in the maternal physiology and anatomy. In the case of maternal cardiac arrest with amniotic fluid embolism, intact neonatal survival is linked with the timing of caesarean section after maternal cardiac arrest. Moreover, the decision for perimortem caesarean section is clear after maternal cardiac arrest. The foetal survival rate is 67% if the operation is done before 15 min of cardiopulmonary compromise has occurred, and it drops to 40% at the duration range of 16-25 min. Whether minor or severe, traumatic brain injury during pregnancy is associated with unfavourable maternal outcomes. Injuries considered minor for the general population are not minor for pregnant women. Therefore, these patients should be intensively monitored, and multidisciplinary approaches should always be involved.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence
Fulltext A Malay Version of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Screening Tool for Children: A Study of Its Validity and Reliability

Sahaimi MF, Mat Pa MN, Taib F

Malays J Med Sci, 2020 Jul;27(4):97-107.
PMID: 32863749 MyJurnal DOI: 10.21315/mjms2020.27.4.9

Background: Childhood maltreatment is a global problem, for which the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) has developed the Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child, Home Version (ICAST-CH) to obtain data concerning childhood maltreatment. The study aimed to translate the English version of the ICAST-CH into the Malay language and to assess its reliability and validity.
Methods: The original English version of the ICAST-CH was first translated into the Malay language. Its content and face validity were tested among five independent individuals. A cross-sectional study using the Malay version (ICAST-CH-M) was then conducted with 255 students in a secondary school in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. The data collected was used to examine the instrument's internal consistency and construct validity. The best ICAST-CH-M model was achieved after varimax rotation application.
Results: The analysis showed that the Malay version of the ICAST-CH had satisfactory internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.59-0.77. The exploratory factor analysis confirmed the validity of the underlying constructs into five domains in the Malay version, but they had to be re-classified as 'physical and psychological abuse', 'neglect', 'sexual abuse', 'exposure to domestic violence' and 'exposure to community violence'.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the ICAST-CH-M is satisfactorily reliable and valid for measuring child maltreatment in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence
Fulltext Prevalence of anxiety among women attending a primary care clinic in Malaysia

Mohd Sidik S, Arroll B, Goodyear-Smith F

Br J Gen Pract, 2011 Jun;61(587):e326-32.
PMID: 21801511 DOI: 10.3399/bjgp11X577990

Background: This is the first study investigating Anxiety among women attending a primary care clinic
in Malaysia.
Aim: The objective was to determine the factors associated with anxiety among these women.
Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a government-funded primary care clinic in Malaysia. Consecutive female patients attending the clinic during the data-collection period were invited to participate in the study.
Method: Participants were given self-administered questionnaires, which included the validated Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire (GAD-7) Malay version to detect anxiety.
Results: Of the 1023 patients who were invited, 895 agreed to participate (response rate 87.5%). The prevalence of anxiety in this study was 7.8%, based on the GAD-7 (score ≥8). Multiple logistic regression analysis found that certain stressful life events and the emotional aspect of domestic violence were significantly associated with anxiety (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety among women in this study is similar to that found in other countries.
Factors found to be associated with anxiety, especially issues on domestic violence, need to be addressed andmanaged appropriately.
Keywords: anxiety; Malaysia; prevalence; primary care; women.
Questionnaire: Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale; GAD-7 (Malay version); Hark questionnaire

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence/psychology
Fulltext Prevalence, associated factors and predictors of depression among adults in the community of Selangor, Malaysia

Kader Maideen SF, Sidik SM, Rampal L, Mukhtar F

PLoS One, 2014;9(4):e95395.
PMID: 24755607 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095395

INTRODUCTION: Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders and is an emerging public health problem. The objectives of this paper were to determine the prevalence of depression, its associated factors and the predictors of depression among adults in the community of Selangor.
METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in three districts in Selangor, from 11th June to 30th December 2012. The sampling frame was obtained from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOS) in May 2012, using the National Population and Housing Census 2010. Adults aged 18 years and above, living in the selected living quarters were approached to participate in the study and requested to complete a set of questionnaires.
RESULTS: A total of 1,556 out of 2,152 participants participated in this study, giving an overall study response rate of 61.90%. Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used to determine the presence of depression. The prevalence of depression was 10.3%, based on the PHQ-9 cut off point of 10 and above. Based on multiple logistic regression analysis, the predictors of depression were presence of anxiety, serious problems at work, unhappy relationship with children, high perceived stress, domestic violence, unhappy relationship with spouse, low self-esteem, unhappy relationship with family, serious financial constraint and presence of chronic diseases. When reanalyzed after removing anxiety, high perceived stress and low self-esteem, additional predictors of depression were found to be serious marital problems and religiosity.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of depression in this study is similar to that found in other studies. Findings from this study are being used as baseline data to develop an effective program to assist in the management of common mental health disorders in the community, in particular depression. The identification of predictors of depression in the community is important to identify the target population for the program.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence/statistics & numerical data
Post-disaster victimization: how survivors of disasters can continue to suffer after the event is over

Phua KL

New Solut, 2008;18(2):221-31.
PMID: 18511398 DOI: 10.2190/NS.18.2.k

When public health researchers study the health effects of disasters (whether "naturally-occurring," disasters due to failure of technology, or disasters due to terrorism), some aspects of the post-disaster situation of victims are often overlooked. Social science research has shown that the vast majority of people tend to behave altruistically during and after a disaster. Nevertheless, cases of victimization of survivors do occur. They can include post-disaster victimization of survivors by other individuals (including fellow survivors, opportunistic outsiders, and even unethical aid workers and rogue members of the police, armed forces or international organizations such as the United Nations), groups (such as organized criminal gangs) and institutions (through neglect, incompetence, bureaucratic inefficiency or through institutionalized discriminatory practices). In this article, various kinds of post-disaster victimization that can occur are discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence
Fulltext Domestic violence towards women: prevalence and the factors associated with it among women at outpatient department. [Keganasan rumahtangga terhadap wanita : prevalen dan faktor - faktor yang mempengaruhinya di kalangan wanita di jabatan pesakit luar]

Norasikin, M.

Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2002;2(1):58-64.
MyJurnal

A cross sectional study to measure the prevalence of domestic violence and the factors associated with it among women who seek treatment at Hospital Pontian Out Patient Department was carried out in September 1998 until April 1999. The study sample was chosen through systematic random sampling. A total of 370 women between 15 to 49 years were selected and the response rate was 100%. The Results show the one year prevalence rate of domestic violence was 16.8% and life- long prevalence of domestic violence was 35.1%. Studies shows significant difference between the prevalence of domestic violence by age, marital and working status, age at marriage, knowledge, attitude and action to be taken toward domestic violence. Percent of victim is higher among women less than 20 year old, single, still schooling, negative attitude and action towards abuse and less knowledge of place for seeking help. Factor that contribute significantly toward domestic violence among single women is the lack of positive action in dealing with violence and among married women are early marriage(<25 year), lack of positive action in dealing with violence and lack of moral support from husband and family.
Key words: prevalence of domestic violence, mangsa keganasan, associated factors, contributing factors
Study site: Outpatient clinic, Hospital Pontian, Johor, Malaysia

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence*
Fulltext Aggression in adolescents: the biopsychosocial predictors

Fatimah Ahmad Fauzi, Nor Afiah Mohd Zulkefli, Anisah Baharom

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(104):15-15.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Adolescent aggression has become a serious public health problem with the escalating juvenile cases and violence among secondary school students by inflicting harm to others. The objective of this study was to deter-mine the biopsychosocial predictors of adolescent aggression among Form Four students in Hulu Langat. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted by proportionate population sampling method among Form Four students from all public secondary schools in Hulu Langat. Pre-tested questionnaires distributed to measure students’ ag-gression, demographic (ethnicity, family income), biological (sex, head injury, nutritional deficiency, breakfast skip-ping), psychological (attitude towards aggression, normative beliefs to aggression, personality trait, and emotional intelligence), and social factors (family environment, single parent status, domestic violence, peer deviant affiliation, alcohol, smoking, and substance abuse). Data was analysed using multivariate analysis to determine the significant predictors. Results: 480 students from four randomly selected schools participated in the study with response rate of 96.5%. The median aggression score was low, which was 23.00 (IQR=12.00). From simple linear regression, 15 factors had significant relationship with adolescent aggression. The predictors of adolescent aggression were lower family income, Malay ethnicity, nutritional deficiency, attitude towards aggression, and peer deviant affiliation (F [8, 244] =15.980, p-value

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence
Fulltext Prediction and explanation on adolescent aggression: a study protocol

Fatimah Ahmad Fauzi, Nor Afiah Mohd Zulkefli, Anisah Baharom

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020;16(1):106-114.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Adolescent aggression is an important public health concern with escalating prevalence of juvenile cases and violence among these age groups including robbery, homicide, and gang fights. The objectives of this study protocol are to determine the biopsychosocial predictors and explore the contextual factors of adolescent ag- gression among secondary school students in Hulu Langat. Methods: Explanatory mixed method study design will be used, consist of quantitative cross-sectional study followed by basic qualitative study. Proportionate population sampling among Form 4 secondary school students from selected public secondary schools in Hulu Langat will be executed. Questionnaires will be distributed to 481 students on aggression as the dependent variable, and several independent variables: demographic (ethnicity, family income), biological (sex, head injury, nutritional deficiency, breakfast skipping), psychological (attitude and normative beliefs, personality trait, emotional intelligence), and so- cial factors (family environment, single parent status, domestic violence, peer deviant affiliation, alcohol, smoking, substance abuse). Subsequently, participants with moderate to high aggression scores will be further explored on the contextual factors of adolescent aggression by in-depth interview. Multiple linear regression will be executed using SPSS to determine significant predictors whereas thematic analysis will be applied for qualitative data analysis on the context of adolescent aggression. Both findings will be further integrated and discussed to give comprehensive description on the phenomena. Conclusion: Better knowledge and understanding on adolescent aggression may generate new framework to drive more effective preventive strategies and unravel adolescent aggressive related Pub- lic Health problems.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence
Fulltext Effects of domestic violence on academic achievement among university students in Selangor, Malaysia

Sohayla M Attalla, Abby Amira Bt Rome

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020;16(101):8-13.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Domestic violence is a serious issue that has often been overlooked by the society. It includes any physical, emotional or sexual violence that occurs between family members. Year after year, many cases of domestic violence have been reported in news and the numbers keep increasing from time to time. Experiencing this violence may give negative impacts on the victim. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among university students in Selangor, Malaysia and to discover its effects on their academic achievement. Methods: A cross-sectional study was implemented in a form of questionnaire that was distributed to 368 university students at Selangor, Malaysia in the period from June 2018 to December 2018. Results: Results showed that 69 respondents (18.7%) had experienced DV throughout their life; all of them suffered physical violence, 95.7% had suffered emo- tional violence while 14.5% had suffered sexual violence. Age, gender, residence, family income, institution’s type and speciality of study has no significant association with DV while, race, religion and parents’ status were signifi- cantly associated with DV. Also it was noticed that out of these 69 respondents that had experience of domestic violence, 36 of them were studying in private universities and 33 of them were studying in public universities. Most of those experienced domestic violence showed low CGPA. Conclusion: It is concluded that there is low prevalence of DV among university students in Selangor. Experiencing DV during childhood has an impact on the academic achievement of the victim in the future university life.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence
Traumatic rupture of the liver; laparatomy; recovery

Taylor LH

Lancet, 1914;184:1197-8.
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)97769-9
Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence
The detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic violence against women

Noman AHM, Griffiths MD, Pervin S, Ismail MN

J Psychiatr Res, 2021 02;134:111-112.
PMID: 33383493 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.057
Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence/psychology*; Domestic Violence/statistics & numerical data*
Victims' barriers to discussing domestic violence in clinical consultations: a qualitative enquiry

Othman S, Goddard C, Piterman L

J Interpers Violence, 2014 May;29(8):1497-513.
PMID: 24323695 DOI: 10.1177/0886260513507136

Victims of domestic violence frequently attend health care facilities. In many cases, their abusive experience is neither disclosed nor discussed during clinical consultations. This study examined the barriers faced by women when discussing abuse with health care providers, specifically in cases involving Malaysian women with a history of domestic violence. A qualitative study using in-depth interviews was conducted with 10 women with a history of domestic violence residing at a shelter. Purposive sampling was conducted until data saturation. Using the grounded theory approach of analysis, themes that emerged from these interviews were then further analyzed to examine the barriers faced by these women. Women who experienced domestic violence faced multiple barriers while discussing their accounts of abuse with others. Values placed on the privacy of domestic violence; upholding the traditional gender roles; preserving the family unity; minimizing the abuse, the feeling of shame, self-blame; and fearing their abuser generally create internal barriers when discussing their encounters of abuse with health care providers. The perceived unknown role of health care professionals when dealing with patients experiencing domestic violence as well as the previous negative experiences in clinical consultations acted as external barriers for discussing abuse with health care providers. Women with domestic violence experiences faced internal and external barriers to discussing their abuse during clinical consultations. Physicians and health care providers must consider domestic violence in consultations with female patients. A good doctor-patient relationship that encompasses empathy, confidence, trust, support, assurance, confidentiality, and guidance can help patients with abusive backgrounds overcome these barriers, leading to the disclosure and discussion of their abusive encounters. Proper education, guidelines, and support for health care providers are required to help them assist women with histories of domestic violence.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence/psychology*
Validity and reliability of the Malay version of WHO Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire

Saddki N, Sulaiman Z, Ali SH, Tengku Hassan TN, Abdullah S, Ab Rahman A, et al.

J Interpers Violence, 2013 Aug;28(12):2557-80.
PMID: 23508088 DOI: 10.1177/0886260513479029

The Women's Health and Life Experiences questionnaire measures the prevalence, health implications, and risk factors for domestic violence. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the Malay version of World Health Organization (WHO) Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire. Construct validity and reliability assessment of the Malay version of the questionnaire was done on 20 specific items that measure four types of intimate partner violence (IPV) act; controlling behaviors (CB), emotional violence (EV), physical violence (PV), and sexual violence (SV), which were considered as the domains of interest. Face-to-face interviewing method was used for data collection. A total of 922 women completed the interviews. The results showed that exploratory factor analysis of four factors with eigenvalues above 1 accounted for 63.83% of the variance. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that all items loaded above 0.40 and the majority of items loaded on factors that were generally consistent with the proposed construct. The internal consistency reliability was good. The Cronbach's α values ranged from 0.767 to 0.858 across domains. The Malay version of WHO Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure of women's health and experiences of IPV in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence*
Fulltext "I Am the One That Needs Help": The Theory of Help-Seeking Behavior for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

Waller BY, Joyce PA, Quinn CR, Hassan Shaari AA, Boyd DT

J Interpers Violence, 2023 Jan;38(1-2):NP288-NP310.
PMID: 35350920 DOI: 10.1177/08862605221084340

African American women survivors of intimate partner violence disproportionately experience homicide due, in part, to the racism and racial discrimination they experience during their help-seeking process. Yet, existing scholarship neglects to examine how this multiply-marginalized population of women navigate sociocultural barriers to obtain crisis services and supports from the domestic violence service provision system. Fundamental to developing culturally-salient interventions is more fully understanding their help-seeking behavior. We conducted 30 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with women who self-identified as African American. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed. Sensitizing concepts from the Transtheoretical Model of Change and Intersectionality theories, along with Agency framework were conceptually bound. The Theory of Help-Seeking Behavior emerged from the data. This nascent theory provides practitioners and researchers with a theoretical model to examine African American women's nuanced help-seeking efforts.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence*
Fulltext Domestic Violence and Its Impact on Abortion in Iran: Evidence From a Nationally Representative Survey

Bagheri R, Farahani FK, Ebrahimi M

J Interpers Violence, 2023 Aug;38(15-16):9492-9513.
PMID: 37102584 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231168824

The objective of this article is to assess the effect of domestic violence on abortion and investigate the mediating role of unwanted pregnancy. A secondary analysis was conducted on the National Family Survey data. This survey was a cross-sectional study conducted across Iran in 2018. The association between domestic violence and abortion was analyzed using the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) with WarpPLS version 8.0. From among 1,544 married women (mean age 42.8 years) who participated in this survey, 27% (418 women) reported experiencing at-least one-lifetime of abortion. Overall, two in three women (67.3%) experienced at least one form of domestic violence. Almost half of the women with experience of abortion (49.3%) reported at least one unwanted pregnancy in their life course. The bivariate analysis showed a significant positive relationship between domestic violence and abortion, and there was a positive direct effect of domestic violence on unwanted pregnancy. Moreover, age had a negative direct and indirect effect on unwanted pregnancy and abortion. Although, the direct effect of domestic violence on abortion was not significant in the Structure Equation Model, a positive indirect effect of domestic violence on abortion through unwanted pregnancy was confirmed. The effect of unwanted pregnancy on abortion was particularly strong (β = .395, p

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence*
Maid abuse

Murty OP

J Forensic Leg Med, 2009 Jul;16(5):290-6.
PMID: 19481715 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2008.12.020

Domestic maid violence is an assault and coercive behaviour, which mainly includes physical, psychological and at times sexual too, by employer or household members of employer against a person hired as a domestic help. Maid abuse is well known but poorly documented in scientific literature. This is an important global issue. In this article, two illustrated cases of maid abuse are discussed. Their employers allegedly subjected both the victims to physical and psychological trauma. The physical examination of the victims showed poor state of clothing, nutrition, and presence of injuries of different duration. The bruises were irregular to patterned, and were inflicted by beating. Both cases had eczematous contact dermatitis over palms and soles, paronechia, and sub-ungal fungal infection due to unprotected working in wet conditions. In both cases, external ears were deformed like cauliflowers due to repeated trauma. All cases had multiple injuries of varying duration. In this paper, medico-legal and social issues related to maid abuse are also discussed in detail. A possible solution to minimise maid abuse is also suggested. This paper highlights and document maid abuse.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence*
Escaping domestic violence: A qualitative study of women who left their abusive husbands

Sukeri S, Man NNN

J Taibah Univ Med Sci, 2017 Dec;12(6):477-482.
PMID: 31435282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2017.05.009

Objectives: This qualitative study aims to discover the factors that influenced the decisions of women who successfully escaped domestic violence by attaining a divorce.
Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 women, ages 21-56 who were either divorced or currently in the process of getting divorced in Kelantan, Malaysia.
Results: Several themes emerged, indicating the following five reasons for divorce: 1) reaching the point of ultimatum, 2) having adequate support pre- and post-divorce, 3) concern for children's welfare, 4) seeking financial independence, and 5) fear of harm.
Conclusion: The identification of the driving factors for divorce may spark a change in our society's mindset to empower female divorcees and allow them to lead happy, abuse-free lives.

Matched MeSH terms: Domestic Violence

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