Journal of interpersonal violence
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J Interpers Violence · Nov 2010
Barriers to disclosing and reporting violence among women in Pakistan: findings from a national household survey and focus group discussions.
Worldwide, many women who experience domestic violence keep their experience secret. Few report to official bodies. In a national survey of abuse against women in Pakistan, we examined factors related to disclosure: women who had experienced physical violence telling someone about it. ⋯ They suggested setting up local groups where abused women could seek help and advice. There are strong disincentives to reporting violence in Pakistan, which are well known to women. Until better systems for reporting and dealing with reported cases are in place, domestic violence will continue to be a hidden scourge here and elsewhere.