LeSuBiA study: New representative data on violence in Germany
LeSuBiA study: New representative data on violence in Germany
Representative figures on intimate partner violence in Germany have been available again for over twenty years. They show a high level of violence, much of which remains in the dark.
This month, the LeSuBiA study[1] was published. Based on 15,479 interviews, it paints a detailed picture of various forms of violence: from emotional and physical violence, sexual harassment and stalking to economic and reproductive control and digital violence.
Women are more affected and experience violence as more life-threatening
Both women and men experience violence. But there are clear differences in extent and severity. Women are more frequently and more severely affected by intimate partner violence. 43% of women report emotional violence within (ex-)partnerships in the course of their lives. 21.4% of the women affected felt that their lives were in danger due to physical violence (men: 4.7%). More than half of the women surveyed suffered physical injuries. In the case of sexualized violence, the differences are also serious: 18% of women, but only 4% of men, report sexual harassment in the course of their lives. Violence against women is predominantly perpetrated by men.
The results also show that violence often does not begin with a single assault. It also manifests itself through control, intimidation or economic dependency and can affect various areas of life.
A massive dark field
Affected people rarely report it and do not seek support from the formal help system[2] or only do so at a very late stage. Only 1.2 to 1.3% of cases of emotional violence are reported to the police, 1.1% of cases of controlling violence and less than 4% of cases of physical violence. The police crime statistics[3] only represent a small fraction of what actually happens. Many victims fear the perpetrators or a stressful court case. Distrust of the authorities or a lack of evidence also play a role[4]. It is therefore important to look at informal support, which has been neglected in many studies to date: many victims first turn to people in their personal environment: friends, family members or other people they trust. The decisive factor here is whether they listen, take them seriously and react sensitively. This is also shown in the GfZ brochure[5] on informal help-seeking. Preventing violence must therefore focus more on where people live and work.
Particularly vulnerable groups
Certain groups are affected more frequently. In particular, 16 to 24-year-olds experience violence more often than average, especially physical and digital violence. Queer people are affected more often than heterosexual people. People with a "migration background" [6] also report experiencing violence more frequently. Sexual harassment, stalking and digital violence occur more frequently in cities.
The extent of intimate partner violence is also linked to structural and material conditions. The influence of housing shortages, high rents or precarious living and working conditions on intimate partner violence has been little studied to date. Measures against violence must also take into account social factors such as housing and financial dependency.
Violence often begins in childhood
One key finding is alarming: every second person in Germany experiences physical violence in childhood. Girls are disproportionately affected by sexual and psychological violence, while boys are disproportionately affected by physical violence. Those who witness violence between parents or guardians are at a significantly higher risk of being affected themselves. Violence has an impact across the lifespan: from the family to school and partnerships to the workplace. Prevention and child protection must no longer look at these connections in isolation, but must systematically focus on them.
The LeSuBiA study provides an important data basis for this. It underlines the need for prevention, victim-centered protection concepts and a sustainable strengthening of the support system. Violence is not an individual problem, but a social responsibility.
[2] For the LeSuBiA study 2004
[3]For the federal report on domestic violence
[6] The LeSuBiA study bases its data collection on the definition used by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis) in the Microcensus (“migration background in the broader sense”): A person is considered to have a migration background if they themselves have immigrated to Germany or if at least one parent has immigrated. The term “migration background” has increasingly been subject to critical debate in political and academic discourse in Germany, as it primarily defines individuals by their origin and may thereby reproduce a lasting attribution of being “non-German.” Alternative terms such as “international biography” have been proposed to counteract this stigmatizing effect. In the present text, however, the original term used in the study is retained in order to accurately reflect its findings.