Violence against women survey in Finland;methodology and experiences

Abstract

One of the first Violence against Women Surveys in Europe was conducted in Finland in 1997 by Statistics Finland. The survey was financed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Council for Equality. This paper discusses the methodological choices done in the survey. The survey mode used was a mail survey, which has been found to work in the Nordic Countries. In the article the benefits and limitations of the method are discussed. Of utmost importance is the question how to define different forms of violence experienced by women. The definition of violence determinates how well the survey identifies the different and specific characteristics of violence.