Intimate partner violence and self-esteem

Introduction The impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) can be devastating on women’s psychology. Moreover, IPV may destroy women’s self-esteem and self-identity. Objectives To identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with IPV and to assess self-esteem among women victims of IPV. Methods It was a descriptive and analytical study over a period of 03 months from June 1 st to August 31 st , 2018 including all cases IPV female victims in forensic department at Habib BOURGUIBA University Hospital, Sfax. In addition to epidemiological data, Rosenberg scale were used to assess the victim’s self-esteem. Results Among 142 female IPV victims, only 60 (22.3%) agreed to answer our questionnaire. Their median age was 33.5 years (27-41 years). Victims did not pass high school in 61.7% of cases and they were unemployed in 53.3% of cases. Most women got married at 23 years-old (20-26). The average length of marriage was 7 years (3-14 years). Bruises and abrasions were the most frequent lesions (58.3% and 56.7% of cases). Rosenberg Scale score’s mean was 28.3 ± 4.3. Self-esteem was low or very low among 70% of victims. Conclusions Female victims of IPV do not have a specific profile and low self-esteem is quite common among them. Additional research is needed to better understand the extent of the problem and to develop more effective reporting methods. Disclosure No significant relationships.