Associations between sexual violence, domestic violence, neglect, and alcohol consumption among Lahu hill tribe families in northern Thailand

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence is one of the largest silent problems in the world. Women, children, and elderly individuals often fall victims to family members who use alcohol. However, there is lack of scientific evidence on alcohol consumption and domestic violence among Lahu hill tribe families. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of family violence, violence against women, and alcohol-related harm to children and elderly individuals and to determine the correlations between alcohol consumption and family violence among Lahu tribe families in northern Thailand. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was applied to collect data from participants living in 10 randomly selected villages from the list of Lahu villages in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. A validated questionnaire and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test were used to collect information from the participants in private and confidential rooms at a community hall between March and August 2019. Data were described and tested for correlation at the significance levels of α = 0.05 and 0.01. FINDINGS: A total of 350 of 719 recruited Lahu families participated in the study (response rate = 48.7%). Among female participants, 22.3% reported history of sexual harassment and 4.1% had been forced to have sex. Children and elderly individuals reported several experiences with people who had used alcohol in the past year; 6.4% had been left to live alone, 5.0% experienced financial neglect, and 1.8% had been neglected while sick. In a correlation analysis, it was found that age (r = –0.02, p value < 0.009), education (r = 0.15, p value < 0.047), marital status (r = 0.25, p value < 0.001), and religion (r = 0.20, p value < 0.008) were significantly correlated with verbal arguments among family members. Experience of sexual harassment was correlated with the presence of a drinker in the family (r = 0.22, p value < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Government and relevant agencies should cooperate to reduce the consumption of alcohol among Lahu men. Moreover, a specific training program to personally improve one’s skill in responding to domestic violence among children, women, and elderly individuals should also be developed and implemented in Lahu communities.