A report carried out by UNICEF on the scale of domestic violence in Gjilan, Gjakova and Dragash, highlighted that children and women in these three municipalities are mostly victims of physical and psychological violence and less of sexual violence. The study included 3,474 respondents.
According to the report, children in Kosovo are most affected by physical violence.
Half of the children interviewed for the study say they’ve experienced physical abuse at least once by members of their families. Another concern is the high level of violence in schools where, as a result, abused schoolchildren have poor performance, difficulties in concentration, and in completion of homework assignments.
Violence against them varies from the physical to psychological and sexual and also includes employees of the education sector. “Around 50 percent of children reported to have experienced physical violence at least on one occasion by a family member, almost 15 percent said they experienced psychological violence from a family member, and 1 percent said they experienced sexual violence at home. At the same time, almost half of the children stated that they have experienced violence at school at least once, and a lower percentage was recorded with girls.”
With regards to the types of physical violence, the highest percentage of children claimed to have been pushed by a fellow student (33.65 percent), followed by being hit by another student (19.1 percent), being hit by a school employee (17.6 percent), threatened with use of knife (8 percent), majority of the victims being boys.
According to the report, men are those that exercise physical and psychological violence against women. Types of physical violence married men commit include: slapping, arm-twisting, and hair-pulling.
The report has also identified stereotypes.
Shortcomings were identified with social services, legal aid and healthcare provided to victims of violence at a municipal level. Safe houses for victims of violence, “Liria” in Gjilan and one in Gjakova, according to the report, face lack of financial sustainability.
UNICEF report further noted that police unit against domestic violence has not managed to gain the trust of the victims as vast majority of investigators are men. The report recommends more women investigators are hired in order to increase the number of reports of violence against women.
