Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Russia: A Systematic Review

• In Event: Intimate partner violence

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious social problem in Russia. However, the exact prevalence of IPV in Russia has not been determined due to limited available data and varying definitions of IPV used by different sources. The objective of this study has been to summarize the current state of knowledge on perpetration and victimization of IPV in Russia, including physical and sexual violence, as well as psychological aggression. First, I searched four electronic databases (PubMed (MEDLINE), PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Academic Search Premier) for peer-reviewed journal articles published before January 2023. I utilized the following sets of keywords in the search: date or dating or partner* or domestic or spous* or marital or wife or husband or intimate partner) AND (batter* or violen* or abus* or aggress*) AND (Russi* or Russi*Federation). In addition, I examined publicly available statistics on IPV perpetration and victimization published in Russian by MVD (police) and population polls (e.g., VZIOM, Levada Centre). The results suggest that the prevalence of partner violence victimization in Russia is comparable to the rates found in the West. While prevalence rates range widely, the rates of victimization do not appear to increase over time. Also, like in the West, the rates of male victimization drawn from the population self-reported surveys are comparable to the rates of female victimization, while the crime data suggest a higher prevalence of females among victims of IPV. The implications of these findings and the direction for future research are discussed.

Author

• Alexandra Lysova, Simon Fraser University