THE PROBLEM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN ROMA COMMUNITIES

Domestic violence is a historical phenomenon that resulted from patriarchal societies characterized by the imbalance between women and men, which continue to rule the Roma communities. However, the progress of society did not determine the total break with the past, the Roma communities proving a greater resistance than the majority of the population to external influences. The diversity of kinship relationships in Roma communities and the customs characteristic of each constituted an element that ensured the preservation of Roma identity regardless of time and political system. Thus, men continue to have the monopoly of violence and the control they exercise over women and other family members because they believe they are entitled to do it, which derives from the historical traditions and rules of the Roma.In such situations, the phenomenon of family violence in Roma communities has a high degree of latency and public authorities must pay more attention to pro-active intervention measures, especially through victimological prevention activities, which will contribute to early prevention and the eradication of this negative phenomenon.