Gender-based violence: ISS data on emergency-department visits in Italy

Gender-based violence: findings from Italian and European data

A study coordinated by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) and published in Lancet Public Health reviewed more than 10,000 emergency-department visits for male-perpetrated violence against women across 16 European countries (2008–2023). The research identifies recurring clinical and contextual patterns and suggests measures to improve prevention and healthcare support.

• Average age: around 38–40 years, with most cases between 15 and 49 years.
• Timing and setting: 35% of incidents occur between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.; nearly two-thirds take place in the home.
• Injury profile: bruises and hematomas (~48%), head and facial trauma (~49% in Europe; ~30% in Italian data), and more frequent signs consistent with asphyxia or strangulation than in other injuries.
• Severity: over 21% of European cases require hospital admission; in Italy the analysis covered about 2,000 visits, with 72.6% physical violence and 4% sexual violence.
• Perpetrators: in Italy almost 60% of cases involved a partner or family member, underscoring the predominantly relational and domestic nature of violence against women.

The study also highlights gaps in hospital records—contextual information is often missing and non-physical forms of abuse remain largely invisible. Authors call for concrete actions: targeted training for healthcare staff, standardized data protocols, stronger links between emergency departments and specialist support services, and routine screening in primary and community care. Proper use of emergency-department data can help detect and prevent gender-based violence earlier, turning hospital services into key nodes of public-health intervention.