Taiwan Sees Sharp Rise in Reports of Domestic Violence

TaiwanPlus News

Reports of domestic violence are up over 33% since 2019, and groups that support victims aren't sure why. But reports of more children attacking older relatives has sparked concern.

Transcript

00:00A social problem is growing behind closed doors in ordinary homes.

00:04Since at least 2019, the number of reported domestic violence cases has been increasing year by year.

00:10Last year, there were 138,859 cases reported, up over 33% from 2019.

00:19Though the violence doesn't discriminate by gender, women are consistently more likely to be victims and report it.

00:25This rise in cases perplexes groups like the Modern Women's Foundation,

00:30a group that offers support to victims along with family law services.

00:35But one theory is that violence is cyclical and gets amplified as children in violent households grow up.

00:46And there seems to be some evidence for this.

00:53The group says cases of minors assaulting parents or other older relatives is at 3%,

00:59with 12 to 16-year-olds the most likely to be violent.

01:03It has some ideas about preventing conflict in the first place.

01:06But the private nature of domestic violence makes this a problem

01:31that's difficult to tackle at its roots, and many cases likely go unreported.

01:36Even the Modern Women's Foundation says they find this trend puzzling,

01:40making tackling this silent epidemic a difficult practical challenge.

01:44Hank Xu and John Van Trieste in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.

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