Domestic Violence (DV) in the Netherlands and Spain. Characteristics of the perpetrators and measures implemented to combat DVa comparative study

Abstract

Aims: This thesis highlights how menacing and costly domestic violence (DV) is for societies, not only monetarily but also as a representation of a global problem profoundly affecting individuals of both genders, physically and psychologically, in all age categories, social status, ethnic and sexual minorities. This study's contribution centres on DV in two European countries: The Netherlands and Spain. It presents data on perpetrators characteristics, both male and female. It also compares the measures these countries apply to combat DV. Design: The data was retrieved from relevant scientific search machines and other scientific information sources to respond to the research questions. The Dutch data was obtained from the Dutch Criminal Courts (period 2015-2018), filtering DV cases, which were treated by the Prosecutor Office. The result was a sample of 253 severe incidents from which nineteen perpetrators were females. The thesis presents anonymised real-life incidents of male and female perpetrators in the Netherlands, their psychopathology, and characteristics. The data from Spain was collected from the INE (Spanish Statistical Office), Ministry of Equality, and research literature. Findings: The results are in line with the asymmetric perspectives of DV: The number of female victims is significantly higher than the victimisation of men in both countries. Practical implications: This thesis could be helpful for policy-makers because it draws on a broad spectrum of DV issues and recommendations to prevent this persistent problem.