Current Situation of Domestic Violence in Japan

Abstract

Violence in intimate relationships is a worldwide problem. Globally, about one third of all females have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partners (WHO 2013). The WHO (2005) conducted a study with 24,000 females from ten different countries (including Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, and the United Republic of Tanzania) and results revealed that the proportion of females having experience of physical and/or sexual violence ranged from 15 to 71 percent, and that Japanese females experienced the least partner violence (15%) among these participating countries. The proportion appears to be lowest, yet there are still females suffering at the hands of their spouses and domestic violence (DV) is also a serious social issue in Japan.