Ann Bailey
One third of all women living in the countries that comprise the European Union have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence since the age of 15. This according to a new survey based on interviews with 42,000 women. That’s a staggering number and the study attributes this scourge to “domestic violence.” Yet there is a major “fix” for this appalling situation that is not even mentioned.
The study identifies “partner” violence as compared with “non-partner” violence, but no attention is given as to whether or not these “partners” were actually married. That is a crucial distinction. The empirical data is clear – the safest place for a woman and her children is in a stable married home.
As marriage rates fall, and divorce and cohabitation rates rise (living together without marriage), this becomes a consideration that we can no longer ignore. It is interesting to note that the Scandinavian countries, countries that have been at the forefront of promoting alternative relationships, have the highest rate of violence against women and girls.
Take a look at the charts below and see it should quickly become clear that there is definitely a “fix” that is being forgotten.
Note: These charts represent a small amount of the related research on this topic.
