Women behaving violently are often left without help

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A woman who wants fo free herself from [her own] violent behaviour does not easily get help.
      Finnish health care authorities often either mitigate or reject women’s reports on their violent behaviour and feelings of rage. To make it worse, even close relatives do not always understand such problems.
     
The information is based on a project carried out by the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters, investigating women’s aggressions and involving almost 100 women of all ages who were seeking help for their violent behaviour.
      The proportion of women participating in domestic violence is higher than generally believed, the Federation points out.
      However, part of such violence remains hidden, as men usually do not notify the police of a woman’s violent outbursts.
     
According to Statistics Finland, 40 % of aggravated assaults in close relationships have been committed by women. They normally come to light only when the victim has to be taken to hospital.
      However, women die as a result of abuse by their spouses more frequently than do men.
      ”Women are usually told that they can overcome their violence by just having some rest, or that their aggressive behaviour can be understood if their spouse is difficult”, says Manager Hannele Törrönen of the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters, describing the attitude of authorities.
      ”A woman simply has to demand help”, she adds.
      ”The public health care should now pay attention to the fact that they do not often recognise this phenomenon”, says Managing Director Ritva Karinsalo of the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters.
     
Most of those women who wanted to get rid of the vicious circle of violence with the help of the project were middle-aged working women whose aggression focused on their spouse or male friend.
      The proportion of mothers of young children was smaller. It might have been difficult for them to speak about aggressive feelings as they were afraid that their children could be taken into custody.
      ”In connection with motherhood, it is not easy to say that a mother treats her children violently”, Törrönen notes.
     
Many women focus their aggressions on themselves, cutting themselves or punishing themselves by regulating their eating.
      In a relationship, women can be as domineering, controlling, or as jealous as men. However, no pattern of repeated assaults committed by women appears to exist, Törrönen points out.
      The violent behaviour of women and men alike typically involves pushing and shoving, or hitting with the fists, a bottle, or a knife, the survey indicates.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Study to be made on women´s violence in Finland (8.1.2004)

Links:
  The Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters
  Statistics Finland

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