Table 3 Factors/barrier for domestic violence non-disclosure

WHO, 2005 [1]

Fear of consequence 53%, normal or not serious 37%

Gossaye, 2003 [6]

61(6%) fight back again to defend herself, 335 (30%) left home due to physical violence, 676 (61%) talk about the physical violence to someone

Shanko, 2013 [15]

Fear of exposing the issue 114 (68.7), fear of additional violence 90 (54.2), didn’t know where to go 38 (22.9), fear of divorce 36 (21.7), cultural tradition to accept it 30 (18.1) and other reason 96 (57.8)

H/mariam, 2008 [32]

Reporting does not help 20%, do not know how to report 15%, other 11%, fear of future anticipated violence 54%.

Misganaw, 2013 [16]

Embarrassment by 19 (29.7%), fear of rejection by legal bodies, lack of awareness where to report, fear of retribution and concern for children by 25, 20, 23 and 3.2% respectively.

Bekele, 2015 [18]

Lack of knowledge what to do (24.2%), fear of parents (21.2%), fear of the public reaction (shame) (24.2%), fear of the perpetuator (21.2) and perceived legal body is not helpful (4.5%).

Sendo, 2015 [17]

Legal body not helpful (40.7%), afraid of parent 25.9%, afraid of humiliation 14.8%, threatened by rapist 11.2% and other 7.4%

Takele, 2014 [34]

Did not know what to do 7 (28), afraid of families 12 (48), afraid of community 5 (20) afraid of perpetrator 6 (24), think legal bodies do not function 2 (8), and others 1 (4)

Bekele, 2014 [36]

Did not know what to do(33.8%), afraid the public reaction or shame (23.4%), afraid of parents (18.2%), fear revenge from perpetrator (15.6% and thought that legal body is not helpful (9.1%).

Yohannes, 2017 [52]

Feeling of shame/guilty 39 (54.9%), afraid of families reaction 28 (39.4%), didn’t know what to do 26 (36.6%), afraid of the public reaction 14 (19.4%), afraid of the perpetrator 11 (15.4%) and other 7 (9.8%)

Asfaw, 2010 [39]

68.3% did not know what to do, 41.7% afraid of parents, 36.7% ashamed of it, 30% afraid of perpetrator, 10% legal body may not helpful

Abdurashid, 2013 [40]

51(14.7%) of violence victims feel ashamed, afraid of consequence 16(4.6%), afraid of perpetrator 16 (4.6%), afraid of public reaction 19 (5.5%), and other reason 13 (3.75) to this study

Benti, 2015 [43]

Fifty one (44.7%) reported that they afraid of their parents, 49 (42.9%) afraid of public reaction, 32 (28.1%) afraid of the perpetuator, 17 (14.9%) did not know that legal body is useful in such issues

EDHS, 2016 [14]

Residence rural women (19%) than urban women (36%), setting Addis Ababa (41%), followed by women in SNNPR and Tigray (24% each) compared to Benishangul-Gumuz (9%),Women employed for cash (29%) than women who are not employed (19%), never married women (34%), those belonging to the highest wealth quintile (33%), and those who have secondary or more than secondary education (30–34%).