Abstract

Objective. Domestic violence is seen to occur on a large scale worldwide. The aim of this research is to study the worldwide occurrence as well as the varied effects of domestic violence and also, to observe the perception of Saudi community on the significance of this issue inside Saudi Arabia. Methodology. A survey was conducted on the first year students of different majors, the faculty of a medical school and adults belonging to different professions, residing in Saudi Arabia. We researched various articles to obtain recent statistics of domestic violence and to study its prevalence and effects. Main results. Of the total surveys sent out (n=427), the response rate was 34.2%. The response rate was much higher for adults than for students as they had more awareness. 60% of the students and 85% of the adults that responded felt that domestic violence is a serious issue in Saudi Arabia. Females were thought to be more vulnerable to domestic violence than males. Conclusions. Domestic violence is an international issue that we, as physicians, should strive to reduce. This can be done by raising awareness via campaigns, educational institutions and reporting of violence to the government.