Does poverty cause domestic violence? Some answers from Lima.

Abstract

A survey was conducted in the metropolitan area of Lima Peru among a subsample of respondents to the 1996 National Living Standards Survey. 359 women were interviewed and were administered the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale. The study aimed to examine whether there is a correlation between poverty levels and levels of domestic violence in low- and middle-income sectors. The results showed that the percentage of lower-income women who had suffered some type of violence was higher when compared with women in the middle-income strata. Although there was a noted high incidence of violence among middle-class women the incidence was lower when compared with poor women. Overall the results indicate the existence of violent relations is closely correlated with poverty unemployment and the lack of social support network. However the results also suggest that poverty seems to be an aggravating factor in all types of violence particularly physical violence and sexual coercion.

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