One in five cases of violence takes place in the home

The 1997 Survey of Living Conditions shows that six per cent of all adults have been the victims of the violence or serious threats of violence in the past 12 months. It also shows that an increasing number of young women are the victims of violence.

Around 110,000 persons have been the victims of physical violence (including acts of violence that leave visible marks and ones that do not). These numbers are difficult to compare with crime statistics showing 13,000 reported cases of bodily violence the same year. There is nevertheless no doubt that the hidden statistics are considerable.

The Living Conditions survey shows that people in certain occupations are considerably more exposed to violence than others. This indicates that we register a fair amount of violence that takes place in occupations where violence is more likely to occur. This kind of violence is probably rarely reported. We also find people here who are the victims of a number of violent acts over the course of a year. The survey also registers some of the violence that takes place in the home and is also rarely reported.

Domestic violence

The survey shows that of the people who were exposed to violence or threats in the past year, 19 per cent were exposed to violence or threats in their own home. One in 10 victims of violence was victimized by a family member or former family member. Once a family member is violent, the number of incidents tends to mount. In 14 per cent of all cases of violence and serious threats, the perpetrator is a family member.

Women are more likely than men to be the victims of violence in the home. The percentage of women who were the victims of violence or threats at home and from family members/former family members was 27 and 15 per cent respectively.

More young women are victims of violence

From 1983 to 1997 the percentage of persons aged 16 to 79 who were exposed to violence or threats rose from four to six percent, although there has been no statistically certain increase over the past 10 years. The same applies to the percentage who were the victims of physical violence, which increased from two to three per cent after 1983.

Source
Survey of Living Conditions, 1997. Housing conditions, leisure and violence.
The statistics are published annually in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. For more information contact: Arne.Andersen@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 46 71.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 7, 1999