Legislative measures to combat domestic violence: A comparison of European and Asian countries

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of legislative initiatives to combat domestic violence in different cultural contexts. The study covered 10 countries: five European (Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain) and five Asian (Japan, India, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Mongolia). The study included an analysis of the legislation of the respective countries, and an assessment of the effectiveness of innovative legal approaches. The study revealed substantial regional differences in the effectiveness of legislative measures. European countries have demonstrated a higher level of implementation of comprehensive protection mechanisms. The most effective were electronic monitoring of offenders in Sweden, which led to a significant reduction in the number of violations of restraining orders; the Telephone Grave Danger urgent response system in France, which provided rapid protection for high-risk victims; and specialised courts in Spain, which expedited the processing of domestic violence cases. In Asia, the greatest progress was seen in the implementation of rehabilitation programmes for perpetrators in Mongolia, which reduced recidivism rates, and the expansion of the legal definition of domestic violence in India to include economic and psychological violence. An analysis of expert assessments revealed that cultural barriers stay a considerable challenge to effective implementation of legislation in Central Asian countries, where only 10% of domestic violence cases are prosecuted. The study showed that the effectiveness of legislative measures depends heavily on their practical implementation, availability of relevant resources and public support. The findings provide a valuable basis for further improvement of legislative measures to combat domestic violence and the development of more effective victim protection mechanisms, considering the specifics of distinct national contexts