November 25 | World Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Data by Eurispes – Central Directorate of Criminal Police
November 25 | World Day for the Elimination of
Violence against Women.
Data from the “Crime: between reality and perception” report
Two out of ten women are victims of sexual harassment. One in three violence occurred in the presence of a minor (33.7%).
November 25 marks the World Day for the elimination of violence against women, an occasion to take stock of the situation regarding gender-based violence and the crimes through which it manifests itself. The Eurispes Institute, in collaboration with the Department of Public Security – Central Directorate of the Criminal Police, has produced a series of data on crime in Italy between reality and perception, with a focus on crimes relating to gender violence ().
While the number of homicides in Italy has been steadily decreasing since 2007 (632 murders, compared to 314 recorded in 2022), the number of feminicides has been constant since 2013. From 1 January to 19 November this year, 295 homicides were committed in Italy; 106 had women as victims, 87 of which were killed in the family/affective sphere. Compared to the same period in 2022, homicides in the family environment increased (+5%), while the number of female victims decreased (-4%) (data from Servizio Analisi Criminale – DCPC). Overall, 314 homicides were recorded in 2022, with 124 female victims (+4% compared to 2021), of whom 102 were killed in the family/affective sphere; of these, 60 died at the hands of their partner/ex-partner. On the other hand, there was a decrease in the number of crimes committed in the family/affective sphere, from 148 to 139 (-6%). Compared to the previous year, both the number of homicides committed by the partner or ex-partner, which fell from 78 to 66, and the number of female victims, which decreased from 69 to 60 (-12%) in 2022. When comparing 2019 and 2022, a decrease in the total number of events is observed (-2%). This decrease can be attributed to the reduction in male victims (-5%), while for female victims there is an increase of 4%.
Gender-based violence: spy crimes and domestic violence
In 2022, “spy crimes” showed a significant decrease. Sexual violence, on the other hand, while decreasing in 2020 compared to the previous year, shows a steadily increasing trend in the following two years. Regarding the victims of the offences monitored in the four-year period 2019-2022, the incidence of female victims is almost constant, ranging between 74% and 76% for persecutory acts, between 81% and 83% for ill-treatment against family members and cohabitants and between 91% and 93% for sexual violence. In percentage terms, the data on ‘spy crimes’ show a decrease in 2022 for persecutory acts (-10%) and ill-treatment against family members and cohabitees (-4%), whereas for sexual violence the increase is 11%. Monitoring the spy crimes in a broader perspective (2013-2022), it is observed that in a decade there has been a 105% increase in ill-treatment against family members and cohabitants, +48% for persecutory acts, and a significant increase (+40%) in sexual violence (4,488 cases in 2013 compared to 6,291 in 2022). The percentage of women victims of sexual violence shows a high incidence, close to 90%, in all periods under analysis. In 2022, 91% of victims of sexual violence are women.
Violence: the citizens’ survey
The monitoring conducted in the report also covered episodes of violence occurring within the family through a nationwide sample survey. The women surveyed reported insults and humiliation within the family (12.9%), threats (6.1%), persecutory acts (4.9%), ill-treatment (4%), injuries (3.4%), beatings (3%), sexual violence (1.5%), segregation at home (1.7%). The women suffered violence from their partner in 24.5% of cases, from their ex-partner in 30.6% of cases, from another family member in 44.9% of cases. The violence suffered in the majority of these cases was not repeated (52.6%), and for 47.4% of the victims it was not an isolated case. One in three violence cases occurred in the presence of a minor (33.7%).
Overall, more than one in 10 respondents have been victims of sexual harassment (11.4%), but the incidence is significantly higher among women: 18.9% – almost one in five – report having been victims, compared to 3.4% of men. Harassment occurs in heterogeneous contexts, by different figures. The women surveyed reported harassment by acquaintances (21%) and strangers (21%); but also by colleagues (18%), relatives (17%), employers (9%) and superiors (6%).
The sample was also asked whether anyone they knew among their relatives, friends or acquaintances had been the victim of physical or psychological violence within the family. In this case, since it is a non-personal, indirect question, and therefore less sensitive to a non-answer, the percentages rise for all the items indicated in the questionnaire: insults and humiliation occurred in 20.2% of cases, ill-treatment in 15.4%, threats in 14.7% of cases. Respondents also reported persecutory acts in 12.3% of cases, beatings (11.3%), injuries (9%), sexual violence (5%), segregation in the home (4.1%). Finally, it should be noted that only 15% of the harassments were followed by a complaint: more often women tell the harasser to stop (40.3%), more often they stop going to the place where they meet him/her (21.6%) and ask partners/relatives/friends for help.
