TEHRAN As the Italian House of Representatives proposes a plan for the "prevention of domestic violence," reports indicate that most violence against women occurs in the home rather than outside, according to IRNA.

According to a report released by an Italian charitable organization known as Pink Telephone, violence against females is soaring. It found that in 71.9 percent of the cases women have been subjected to violence by their husbands, in 7.5 percent by men who live with them outside marriage, 3.1 percent by fiances, 2.4 percent by fathers and 1.7 by sons.

The report added that 77.5 percent of women who fall victim to violence keep silent about the matter and don't take the case to court and even give false reasons for the injuries.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) office in Italy said in a report issued last May that "domestic violence" is a global problem which affects 20 to 50 percent of the women across the world.

The report referred to violence in industrialized countries and said that in Canada 29 percent of the women who are abused by men don't complain.

The problem in Switzerland is the same as in Canada, and in Britain 25 percent of women are beaten by their husbands and in the U.S. 28 percent of all women have complained of violence at the hands of their husbands.

Only 44 countries in the world have approved laws against domestic violence, added the report.

According to a report issued last March by the European Commission, half of all women who have been murdered are victims of their current or former husband or male partner.

The Italian institute also said that some children are victims of sexual abuse within the family.