Low rates of reporting domestic violence

Context

According to the International Men and Gender Equality Survey, 31% of women in Lebanon experienced intimate partner violence and 24% of men admitted causing it in 2016. However, disclosing personal experience of violent behavior is a highly sensitive issue in our country. Studies have shown that women tend to be reluctant to report domestic violence cases as they feel powerless, shamed and embarrassed when sharing their personal experience with the police.

In 2014, a new law was introduced to protect women and other family members from domestic violence and physical abuse. Newspapers and media channels reported a decrease in the number of women killed from 25 between 2010 and 2013 to 14 between 2014 and 2016 after the law was implemented. Moreover, the number of reported domestic violence incidents has increased from 88 in 2011 to 349 in 2014. However, according to a study conducted by KAFA, two years after passing the law, one-third of the population is still unaware of its presence.

Source: International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES): Lebanon Summary, 2016; http://www.kafa.org.lb; Avis, W. (2017). Gender equality and women’s empowerment in Lebanon.; Human Rights Watch (2014). Lebanon: Domestic violence law good, but incomplete. New York.; UNICEF (2017). Lessons from Lebanon in preventing violence against women and girls.

Examples of Behavioral Biases and Bottlenecks

Social norms: Women, as well as society might consider that it is justified for a man to physically abuse his wife if he is angry, facing a bad day or if she has done something wrong.

Ambiguity effect: Victims may not know how to report domestic violence and may not wish to take action with uncertain outcomes.

Status-quo bias: Victims might have adapted to their current situation and have no will to change it.

Victims of violence are already in a situation of “scarcity”: Victims can be under severe emotional and/or financial constraints that are posing a threat to their safety or the safety of their loved ones. Scarcity may impair their capacity to make better decisions and aggravate their feelings of distress while draining their mental resources.