Training Lebanese Law Enforcement Agencies on Responding to GBV: Context, Tools, and Challenges

Abstract

The most common forms of gender-based violence (GBV) in Lebanon include domestic violence, physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, threats of violence and harm, emotional violence, isolation, use of children, economic violence, arranged marriage, and child marriage.

Countering GBV demands contributions from the private as well as the public sectors, government and non-government initiatives, and a collective societal commitment.

At the government level, law enforcement agencies are at the forefront of the criminal justice system and are often called upon to intervene when violence, including GBV, occurs. Law enforcement officers are expected to work with victims, offenders, witnesses, and various forms of evidence. Their attitudes and responses can have an impact on subsequent developments, including the protection of victims from further violence and the prevention of future GBV.