Jana Bruns, project manager at Statistics Estonia's Population and Social Statistics Department, said that survey results indicated that 39 percent of women in Estonia have experienced psychological violence, 13 percent physical violence, including threats, and 9 percent sexual violence, according to a press release.

By age group, young women aged 18-29 are the most likely to reportedly experience IPV, while older women aged 65-74 are the least likely.

"29 percent of women have felt degraded, humiliated or insulted by their partner, either in private or in front of other people," Bruns said. "23 percent say that their interaction with another man or woman has led to the woman's partner becoming angry or having unfounded suspicions of infidelity."

She noted that 19 percent of women have experienced behavior in a relationship that frightens or intimidates them such as their partner yelling or breaking things.

According to the results of the survey, a somewhat smaller share, 16 percent, of women say that their partner has restricted their contact with friends or stopped them from pursuing hobbies or other activities. 13 percent of respondents also reported that their partner has monitored their movements, including by tracking them via GPS, phone or social networks.

Victims of violence likely to experience violence repeatedly

Although women are most likely to experience psychological IPV, some have experienced physical violence as well, Statistics Estonia said.

According to the survey, 16 percent of women reported that they have been deliberately pushed or shoved or had their hair pulled in a way that hurt or frightened them. 13 percent of respondents reported that their partner has deliberately thrown something at them or slapped them, hurting or scaring them, and 12 percent have felt frightened because they have been threatened with harm.

Bruns explained that 58 percent of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence have also been physically harmed by a former partner.

"In current relationships, 47 percent of women who have experienced violence have been injured," she continued, adding that 22 percent of women whose current partner has been violent have felt that their life was at risk, as have 38 percent of women who have been attacked by a former partner.

"Regarding the frequency of violence, it is unfortunately the case that, if already present in any form, there are significantly more victims who experience [violence] repeatedly," the survey project manager said. "Thus, among those who have experienced physical violence in their current relationship, 29 percent have experienced it once and 41 percent have experienced it several times."

Survey results indicated that 15 percent of women have experienced physical violence in a previous relationship once, while 60 percent have experienced physical violence in a previous relationship on more than one occasion.

Of women who report having experienced intimate partner violence, 80 percent say the attacker was a former partner.

"This is a clear indication of the preference to leave an abusive relationship," Bruns explained, pointing out that the vast majority – 94 percent – of those who were abused by a previous partner have experienced violence from only one former partner. Meanwhile, 6 percent of women surveyed had had more than one violent ex-partner.

According to Statistics Estonia, women with lower levels of education are more vulnerable to IPV.

"Of those with higher education, 38 percent have experienced intimate partner violence," Bruns said, noting that among women with basic education, i.e. through 9th grade, that figure increases to 48 percent.

Unemployed women are also somewhat more likely to experience IPV than working women, at 52 and 42 percent, respectively.

The results of the survey indicated that alcohol significantly impacts the dynamics of relationships as well. "Nearly half of violent episodes – 44 percent – occur when a woman's partner has consumed alcohol," the project manager noted.

Few women report violence to authorities

More than half – 56 percent – of women who have experienced intimate partner violence in the past five years have reported it to someone, according to the Statistics Estonia survey.

"When people talk about violence, it's usually to those close to them," Bruns explained. "Few – 2-6 percent – report violence to authorities, such as social workers, police, women's shelters or religious institutions. The reason given for not reporting to the police is usually that the incident was not serious enough, or that it was a 'family matter.'"

Last year, Statistics Estonia published the results of the country's largest and most comprehensive relationship survey to date, titled "Safe relationships within family, at work and outside work." The survey reveals how Estonian residents rate the quality of their relationships at home, at work and elsewhere, and among other things examined violence against both men and women in intimate relationships.

News items concerning men and women are being published by the statistical agency separately, as the mechanisms of experiencing violence differ between genders, and the survey methodology does not allow for comparisons between men and women.

What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence and intimate partner violence are defined by Statistics Estonia as any form of psychological, physical, sexual or economic violence that occurs between people who are or have been in a close relationship, including relatives. Anyone can suffer from domestic violence, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, race or sexual orientation.

If your or your children's lives are in danger or you feel you are in danger, contact emergency services immediately at 112.

If you are in need of advice or support, you can call the 24-hour Victim Support helpline at 116 006, or reach out to Victim Support online.

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