According to a survey two years ago, at least 75 per cent of women have experienced some form of assault, but more than 87 per cent of cases go unreported. The government has proposed a number of new initiatives, mainly concerning training and care for the victims, who are often minors.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) - In this month that Thailand dedicates to initiatives aimed at eradicating violence against women and children within families, the Minister of Social Development and Human Security, Varawut Silpa-archa, wanted to underline the importance to decisively combat domestic violence in all its forms and asked the population to report these facts to the ministry's hotline or to its account on the Line platform.
Domestic violence is in fact a widespread phenomenon, but often unreported and underestimated in official statistics, despite many complaints by the mass media and human rights organizations. Only in a few cases, however, are those responsible identified and convicted.
Although we have limited official data, the increase in the number of cases is worrying: there were 4,000 in the fiscal year that ended on September 30, with a considerable increase compared to the 2,493 of the previous year. The vast majority of victims are women who have suffered violence in the home context.
A survey conducted in 2021 by the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation shows that 75% of women have suffered some form of abuse in the family, but also that more than 87% of cases go unreported. Psychological problems of the man who commits violence, combined with alcohol abuse, are often the cause of a large part of the attacks.
In addition to the need for a certain punishment, greater awareness of the phenomenon is also necessary: the difficulty in limiting it with repressive tools alone makes it necessary to involve more actors and new tools, both on a preventive level and with regard to protection and treatment of those affected by it.
The Thai police have long set up an online platform to support victims of assault, particularly teenagers, who are offered shelter and specialized support. According to the government's plans, more and more attention will be paid to digital tools, which risk affecting minors in particular with the threat of cyberbullying.
The path already started by the ThaiHealth Foundation, a government agency which has announced a further improvement of its initiatives aimed at safe use of the web and greater knowledge of the potential and risks of digital, will also focus on information and education.