The prevalence of Stockholm syndrome among Lebanese women who are victims of domestic violence and the sociodemographic factors associated with its occurrence

Abstract

This thesis explores the prevalence rate of Stockholm syndrome among Lebanese women who have experienced domestic violence from a male partner, along with the socio demographic factors that are associated with higher prevalence of Stockholm syndrome particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown. Using a cross-sectional quantitative method, 63 participants filled in a questionnaire including sociodemographic questions and the Stockholm Syndrome scale. Findings revealed a significant prevalence of Stockholm syndrome among the participants. For the second research question, Fisher’s exact test was used, and an association was found between the partner’s work status and the economic status of the partner, with the prevalence of Stockholm syndrome, however, the logistic regression analysis showed no statistical significance (p>0.05). No associations were observed between all other sociodemographic factors and the presence of Stockholm syndrome. This study sheds light on the effect of Stockholm syndrome on victims of domestic abuse.