There is no simple explanation for domestic violence. It is complicated and often influenced by a variety of factors. The most common model used to understand domestic violence, particularly in efforts to develop prevention strategies, is the social ecological model.[1] This model recognizes that factors contributing to domestic violence exist at four different levels: individual, relationship, community, and societal, and may include individual biology (age, psychological character, substance abuse, etc.), personal experiences with violence, economic situation, peer influence, and cultural and religious gender norms and beliefs, among many other influences. Some factors, such as substance abuse, tend to contribute to the frequency and nature of violence, while others, such as cultural acceptance of violence against women, may have more of a causal relationship to violence.[2] 

While the underlying desire to control and dominate an intimate partner is consistently observed across all boundaries (geographical, economic, cultural, political, etc.), the factors contributing to domestic violence may vary. The World Health Organization, through its work on intimate partner violence, has identified many of the most common factors identified as well as some of the approaches that have been taken to prevent and respond to violence under this social-ecological framework.[3] The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has adopted the social ecological model and since 2002, has directed funds to support comprehensive community-level efforts utilizing this framework.[4] 

Throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (CEE/FSU), domestic violence is a serious problem. Women suffer high rates of violence in the home, including both physical and psychological violence.[5]  

Stereotypes about the "proper" roles and responsibilities of men and women in the family reinforce the view that the family is a self-contained unit, deserving privacy at the expense of other rights and freedoms. Traditionally, women are relegated to subordinate positions in this family structure. The Network Women's Program explains that in CEE/FSU:

Such attitudes endure in countries and communities that condone violence against women as a part of daily life. In some places, the goal of the community is "to save the family." Women are told: "Go back to your husbands. Do you want to make your children orphans?" In many cases, society teaches women that they are at least partly responsible for provoking the violence against them. "Good wives" seldom get beaten. And when they do, its excused as a sign of affection. As a Russian proverb puts it, "No beatings means there's no love."[6]

For victims of domestic violence, this notion of family privacy often interferes with effective police intervention and prosecutorial decisions in domestic violence cases. In many countries, people interviewed, including many police officers, reported that police often regard domestic violence as a minor offense and as a family issue in which police officers should not interfere.

These stereotypes also reinforce the mentality that men are the leaders of the family and thus have the right to control women's behavior by any means necessary. Women are expected to show their husbands obedience and respect. Women have identified the male view of women as subordinate to men as one of the underlying causes of violence against women. Many view violence as a normal part of an intimate relationship.[7]

Research also indicates that many people accept the widespread myth that alcohol is the primary cause of domestic violence, including police, prosecutors, and doctors.[8] But, research from around the world demonstrates that while alcoholism is a contributing factor to some domestic violence, it is not the cause. International studies attribute domestic violence to other underlying factors in the abuser's life. Some of these factors include violence in the home as a child, a belief that violence against women is acceptable and a desire for personal power.[9] In discussing substance abuse and domestic violence, these researchers conclude that one does not cause the other. Because they are not causally related, scholars recommend that the government address alcoholism and domestic violence as two separate problems with two separate treatments. "Although programs addressing alcohol abuse are no doubt beneficial in many ways . . . unless interventions also aim to . . . alter male attitudes and beliefs in the rightness of male dominance and control over women, they are unlikely to be successful."[10]

Economic hardship places additional stress on family relationships and affects a woman's ability to leave a violent relationship. In many countries in CEE/FSU, affordable housing is very limited. Many women do not seek legal relief against their abusive husbands and partners because they do not have alternative housing arrangements.[11] This reality affects both divorced women, who must live with their ex-husbands while they wait for financial and property settlements, as well as married women who may wish to flee the abuse but have no reasonable alternatives given their lack of economic resources. Economic considerations may be even more pressing for women with children.