What is domestic violence?

Family is the foundation of any society. A healthy family means a healthy and stable society. A family in which harmony, good relationship and rights between its members, especially good relationship and warm relationship between parents and the children are established, is a strong guarantee that there will be less deviant and criminal behavior by children and juveniles, and at the same time the likelihood of victimisation of family members will be me much lesser.

Domestic violence is a violation of human rights. States have the responsibility to protect their citizens from human rights violations. States may also be responsible for acts of a private person if they fail to act with due diligence to prevent violations of rights or to investigate and punish acts of violence and provide compensation. In addition, a State has the obligation to assist victims of domestic violence, ensure that they are treated with dignity, care and respect by institutions and individuals representing the state.

The lesson treats domestic violence as a violation of fundamental human rights and provides knowledge for participants on some national and international standards covering this problem and offers information about the forms of domestic violence, its causes and geographical distribution of domestic violence in the recent years.

By the end of this lesson participants will:

1. Acquire knowledge on the purpose of the Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (LPADV) & what we mean by the terms family relationship and domestic violence as provided by the LPADV;
2. Acquire knowledge on the most common forms of domestic violence;
3. Acquire knowledge on the factors which may lead to domestic violence & victims of domestic violence;
4. Acquire knowledge on the consequences of domestic violence on women and children;
5. Be able to explain the reasons why victims do not report domestic violence or why they do not support the investigation of domestic violence;
6. BE able to refer to human rights provisions against domestic violence as provided by international instruments;
7. Acquire knowledge on the protection measures and protection orders as provided by LPADV;
8. Acquire knowledge on the Emergency Protection Order & responsibilities of the Kosovo Police
9. Be able to provide a brief presentation on the general procedure applied when interviewing the victim, witness, suspect or children in a domestic violence case.