Podgorica, (MINA) – Every fifth woman in Montenegro has experienced some form of violence, and more than half of them did not seek help, according to the research on opinions and perceptions of violence against women and girls in domestic and partner relationships.

The survey, prepared with supported from the OSCE Mission to Montenegro for the Ministry of Social Welfare, Family Care and Demography and the Women’s Safe House, and conducted by the DeFacto agency, showed that the key obstacles to reporting violence include the fear of losing children and family disintegration, financial dependence, shame, traditional norms and limited trust in institutions.

The OSCE Mission in Montenegro stated that the research was conducted from August to September, on a representative sample of 1,008 respondents, ahead of the international campaign “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence”.

The findings show that among women who reported having survived violence, psychological violence was most often recognized, in as many as 86.3 percent of cases, followed by physical violence in 53.3 percent, sexual violence in 21.5 percent, economic violence in 35.1 percent of cases.

The report emphasized that the actual prevalence is likely higher due to the frequent non-reporting.

The research also indicates a significant gap between women’s experiences and the social understanding of violence, noting that violence is still primarily understood as a physical attack, while psychological, economic, sexual and digital forms are insufficiently recognized.

About 40 percent of respondents believe that women sometimes accuse men of violence out of revenge or personal gain, and a similar percentage believe that women report violence in order to gain attention.

“A quarter of the respondents still view domestic violence as a private matter, while controlling and restrictive forms of behavior towards women are often normalized and seen as a common “family dynamic”, the press release said.