Domestic violence in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: Studying risk factor for a targeted prevention.

Introduction: In Luxembourg, the phenomenon of domestic violence has become a serious social problem by affecting family and egalitarian social relations and by implicating health and legal issues. National authorities reported an important increase in the number of domestic violence acts during the last few years.
Objectives: Considering the individual and social burden of domestic violence, this study aims to understand the social processes involved and generated by domestic violence acts in Luxembourg in order to conceive targeted prevention strategies based on the analysis of all the actors involved. This paper proposes the study protocol: a comparative approach of nationally available statistics about domestic violence; an analysis of potential origins and causes of the processes involved, and finally by providing targeted recommendations for the prevention and fight against violence...
Method: The research will follow two phases: an extended survey based on 600 anonymously collected questionnaires; and a more in-depth qualitative study, focused on a reduced representative sample of 50 subjects, using structured in-person interviews. As domestic violence implicates a serious risk for mental health and legal issues, there is an evident need for action.
Results: Identifying predictive factors associated with domestic violence will deliver solid insight on how to conceive public prevention strategies.