Domestic Violence in Germany: Analysis, Intervention, and Prevention

In this chapter, the situation of domestic violence in Germany is analyzed and discussed. Empirical data show that every third woman experiences physical and/or sexual violence at least once in her life and every fourth woman becomes a victim of physical and/or sexual violence by her actual or former male partner. 98.1% of victims of sexual violence such as rape or sexual coercion are female, and nearly every day one woman is killed by her current or former partner. That shows that families and partnerships in Germany can be difficult or even unsafe spaces for women. A brief overview of the legal situation reveals prosecution of domestic and partner violence is high. Women in heterosexual relationships often suffer from severe violence, the roots of which are embedded in the patriarchal gender system in Germany. The chapter discusses the gender division of labor to highlight the patriarchal embeddedness of violence. This patriarchal system evokes risks for women to suffer from physical, sexualized, and/or psychological violence in their intimate relations. Methods and tools of prevention and intervention in context of social work at three levels will be presented, namely: community work and action plans to create a nonviolent climate in the society as prevention; the frontline work of counselling centers, women’s shelters, and involved professional groups such as doctors, police, and social workers; and lastly, social counselling or therapies which serve to empower women and to support their healing from the trauma.