Family violence can be found in every country in the world, cutting across gender and all racial, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic lines. Although case definitions vary from culture to culture, family violence represents a major public health problem by virtue of the many deaths, injuries, and adverse psychological consequences which it causes. The physical and emotional harm may represent chronic or even lifetime disabilities for many victims. Family violence is associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and self-injurious behaviour, including suicide.
Victims often become perpetrators or become involved in violent relationships later on.
Although the focus of this document is the welfare of the victim, the needs of the perpetrator should not be overlooked. Finally, more recent data suggest that victims of family violence are more likely to become perpetrators of violence against non-intimates as well. All of this suggests that each instance of family violence may have implications not only for further family violence, but also for the broader spread of violence throughout a society as well. Although the causes of family violence are complex, a number of contributing factors are known. Physicians have important roles to play in the prevention and treatment of family violence.