Women from broken homes more prone to domestic abuse

Women who have not been brought up by their biological parents are more prone to domestic violence if they marry men from similar sociological backgrounds, said experts.
This, many have said, is due to the fact that these women do not have families that can intervene and protect them.
Many women have since demanded special laws to address social problems related to divorce and alimony.
One such victim of abuse recounted her ordeal to local media.
“Two years ago, I married a young man who had also lived in a shelter like myself with no parents or next of kin,” she said.
“I soon found myself getting beaten up everyday until one day, he broke my jaw. I reported the incident to the Social Affairs Department, who referred me for treatment.”
The bruised and battered woman now lives in a furnished apartment that costs SR2,700 monthly in rent, which is is paid by the department.
“I filed for divorce 18 months ago and a supervising committee is currently following up on my case,” she said.
“I fail to understand why there are no special laws to shield us from violence considering we have no family or parents to protect us.”
“Women who have grown up in government shelters need even more protection after they get married,” said another domestic abuse victim.
The woman, who had suffered minor fractures, told local media: “When we get married to men that come from broken homes like us, we become more vulnerable to domestic violence because these men suffer from negative self-image that translates into violence and insubordination.”
“Children are often at the receiving end of such violence and self-loathing,” she said.
“No one knows of the circumstances we live in or the daily violence we face. I approached a human rights body, but they were unresponsive. The Social Affairs Department only provides financial in the form of rent, but we have to earn our living ourselves.”
She appealed to the Minister of Social Affairs to put in place a mechanism against abuse and its aftermath.
Several female social workers and researchers said that they paid a visit to one of the victims.
They said that her case will be referred to family protection services, but that she would not be allowed to return to the shelter.
However, she will receive financial aid to pay for temporary lodging or be enrolled in training programs to qualify her for a job.
A judge at a Dammam court, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “There is no defined mechanism to deal with such cases. We only get notifications from social affairs offices to assist these cases on the judicial level and to speed up proceedings.”
He said that there are eight pending cases of divorce filed by victims of domestic violence with no parents in Eastern Province courts, noting that these cases have been given priority but no preferential treatment.