The aim of this study was to analyze complaints of household physical aggression filed in Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, from 2001 to 2005. The study described the social characteristics of aggressors and victims, their family relationship, locale, time of day, day of week, causes of aggression, kind of injuries, and use of alcohol/drugs by aggressor. Of 7,750 complaints of aggression, 1,844 involved domestic violence: 81.1% involved the spouse or partner (group A), 11.6% parents/guardians and children (group B); and 7.3% other family members (group C). In the three groups, the aggressions occurred mainly at home, and the aggressors were mostly males. In group A, aggressions occurred mainly on weekends (38.9%), with jealousy as the most frequently reported cause (21.5%). In group B, children/adolescents constituted 68.1% of the victims, mostly girls, while 5.2% of victims were ? 60 years old. All three groups involved mostly minor injuries like bruises and excoriations to the head and upper limbs. Aggressors were frequently under the influence of alcohol: 26.8% (group A), 21.6% (group B), 17.1% (group C). Drug use was probably underestimated in the three groups (2.2%, 1.8%, and 4.5%, respectively).
Domestic Violence; Aggression; Behavior; Wound's; Injuries
