A PSYCHO-SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

AMONGST WOMEN IN INDIA.

ABSTRACT:
Domestic abuse of women is a very widespread and well-known occurrence in India. It is
believed that circumstances of domestic violence against women are encouraged and
reinforced by gender norms and ideals that place women in an inferior position to men.
This report condemns the existence of domestic violence among Indian women. An interview
schedule was made in order to gauge the prevalence of domestic abuse. A total of 50
Lucknow women were questioned in order to get reliable results.
The survey claims that drunken husbands are one of the main causes of domestic violence
against women. According to the findings, domestic abuse is still an issue in Indian society,
and women are frequently not aware of the agencies and legal frameworks in place to address
it.
According to the report, one of the main causes of domestic violence committed by men
against their spouses is their husband's intoxication.
Keywords: women, domestic violence, gender sensitization, and prejudice against women
INTRODUCTION:
It is important to define domestic violence against women. The use of force, whether overt or
covert, to coerce a woman to give up anything against her will and to do so at the risk of her
physical safety, psychological well-being, or both is referred to as violence against women in
general. Therefore, crimes of rape, kidnapping, beating the wife, sexual abuse, eve teasing,
mental harassment, and physical touching are all considered forms of violence against
women. We shall confine the scope of our research to this concept because domestic violence
is the project's primary emphasis.
Karl Marx claimed that women are the only exploited group who have ever been
romanticised into weakness.
In Chandigarh, a 70-year-old man was killed over a property dispute, a wife was murdered
for dowry, a young child who had been beaten by his father passed away from his wounds,
and men were harassed. The current research examines the many forms of domestic abuse
that are widespread in India. We've talked about their underlying causes as well as changes in
the forms' level of intensity. There has been discussion of the effects of different types of
domestic violence as well as proposed remedies. A decision has been made after a
comprehensive investigation of the subject and comparison of the information available.
The following are included in what is meant by "violence against women," however they are
not the only ones:
a) Physical, sexual, and psychological violence against women that takes place in the home,
such as rape, sexual abuse, female genital mutilation, and other harmful traditional practises,
as well as non-spousal violence and violence resulting from exploitation;
b) Physical, sexual, and psychological violence against women that takes place in the larger
community, such as rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and intimidation at work. This is
crucial so that decision-makers in the field of policy can fully comprehend the problems
associated with violence against women; other-wise the laws and policies that are formulated
are likely to be ineffective.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

 Families where the husband uses alcohol or other drugs are more likely to experience
family violence against women (physical and psychological violence).
 Family violence against women is more prevalent among women who witnessed
their father beat their mothers during their childhood, than among women who did not
witness this parental behaviour.

OBJECTIVES:
a. To study the nature, extent and incidence of domestic violence against women.
b. To identify the correlates of domestic violence against women.
c. To examine the impact of domestic violence on the abused women, their children and
intra-family relations.
 d. To suggest measures to control, minimize and, if possible, eliminate domestic
violence against women.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:
In this research, the methodology section indicates how the research was conducted. This
includes getting information through articles, online survey. So, the detailed information is
mentioned below.
Primary data: The source of primary data is an online survey.
Statistical tools used for analysis: Pie Chart method has been used for analysis of data.
Sample size: 54

LITERATURE REVIEW:
Violence is defined as "any physical, visual, verbal, or sexual act that the woman or girl
experiences at the time or later as a threat, invasion, or assault, that has the effect of hurting
her or degrading her, and/or takes away her ability to contest an intimate contact" by Liz
Kelly (1998) in Surviving Sexual Polity.

By adding "any physical, visual, verbal, or sexual act that the person experiences at the time
or later as a threat, invasion, or assault, that has the effect of injuring or disregarding or
removing the ability to control one's own actions or an interaction, whether this be within the
workplace, the home, on the streets, or in any other area of the community," Dr. Joanne
Liddle changed this definition.

According to the the 18 cases

of female
infanticide (of married
mothers) that they came
across, 17 were among the
Gounders.
The remaining one case
occurred among the Arunthatis
(cobblers) a scheduled caste
(George et al, 1992:1155). In
Bihar, according to a study
done by Adithi, a local NGO
in
Katihar District, of 35 Dais,
this practise originally began
among Rajputs but spread to
many castes including the
Bumihars, Brahmins,
Kayasthas, Yadavas and some
scheduled
castes. This, they say, is
similar to the case in Tamil
Nadu, where it originally
began with
Gounder caste and has now
spread to almost all castes
(Times of India, 22nd April).
What makes the practice
important in the
continfanticide (of married
mothers) that they came
across, 17 were among the
Gounders.
The remaining o
Agnihotri (1995) assessed the "missing females" in a demographic analysis based on sex ratio
using a statistical technique for dividing the "missing females" in the country's overall
population. For this, he has used census data. Sex ratio data would undoubtedly contain
information on kids who are malnourished, wait too long to get medical help, or experience
other forms of child maltreatment including infanticide and, more recently, foeticide. His
calculation is based on how many girls the population would need to grow overall in order to
catch up to the level of the male population.
According to the National Family Health Survey from 1995, child mortality is 43% higher for
girls than for males, and post-neonatal mortality is 13% higher for women than for men.
However, these are all India-specific numbers, which do not reflect regional variations (Negi,
1997: 8). For all of India, at the State and District levels, data on gender-specific neonatal,
postnatal, and infant mortality rates are needed.
The 1995 National Family Health Survey found that post-neonatal mortality was 13% higher
for women than for men, and that child mortality was 43% higher for girls than for boys.
However, all of these statistics are exclusive to India and do not account for regional
differences (Negi, 1997: 8). Data on gender-specific neonatal, postnatal, and infant mortality
rates are required for the entire country of India, at the State and District levels.
Singh claims that since women work outside the home, the girl's family wishes to keep her
with them for as long as possible since she is an economic asset (1994: 1378). According to
Kabra, the ritual used in rural India essentially acts as social confirmation of a deal made
between two families to wed their wards at a proper age much later. He goes on to argue that
child weddings do not result in early pregnancies or more children because a young bride
never remains at her husband's home after the marriage. Actual marriage age is from 17 to 19
years old (Kabra, 1997).

DATA ANALYSIS:
According to Singh, since
women work outside the
home, the girl is an economic
asset,
and therefore her parental
family tries to keep her with
them for as long as possible
(1994: 1378). According to
Kabra, the ceremony practised
in the rural areas of India is
only for social authentication
of an agreement between two
families to marry their wards
at an opportune age much
later. He adds that, child
marriages do not result in early
pregnancies or more children
as child bride never goes to the
husband’s house after the
marriage. The real age at
which the marriage is
consummated is 17 to 19 years
(Kabra,,
1997). While there is a
widespread recognition that
girls should begin regular
cohabitation only after they
attained puberty, the custom
was customarily violated.
Once
the marriage had been
performed, a lot of domestic,
especially feminine pressures
pull
the wife into the husbands
family much earlier than
puberty (Sarkar, 1993: 1875).
According to Singh, since
women work outside the
home, the girl is an economic
asset,
and therefore her parental
family tries to keep her with
them for as long as possible
(1994: 1378). According to
Kabra, the ceremony practised
in the rural areas of India is
only for social authentication
of an agreement between two
families to marry their wards
at an opportune age much
later. He adds that, child
marriages do not result in early
pregnancies or more children
as child bride never goes to the
husband’s house after the
marriage. The real age at
which the marriage is
consummated is 17 to 19 years
(Kabra,,
1997). While there is a
widespread recognition that
girls should begin regular
cohabitation only after they
attained puberty, the custom
was customarily violated.
Once
the marriage had been
performed, a lot of domestic,
especially feminine pressures
pull
the wife into the husbands
family much earlier than
puberty (Sarkar, 1993: 1875).
According to Singh, since
women work outside the
home, the girl is an economic
asset,
and therefore her parental
family tries to keep her with
them for as long as possible
(1994: 1378). According to
Kabra, the ceremony practised
in the rural areas of India is
only for social authentication
of an agreement between two
families to marry their wards
at an opportune age much
later. He adds that, child
marriages do not result in early
pregnancies or more children
as child bride never goes to the
husband’s house after the
marriage. The real age at
which the marriage is
consummated is 17 to 19 years
(Kabra,,
1997). While there is a
widespread recognition that
girls should begin regular
cohabitation only after they
attained puberty, the custom
was customarily violated.
Once
the marriage had been
performed, a lot of domestic,
especially feminine pressures
pull
the wife into the husbands
family much earlier than
puberty (Sarkar, 1993: 1875).
According to Singh, since
women work outside the
home, the girl is an economic
asset,
and therefore her parental
family tries to keep her with
them for as long as possible
(1994: 1378). According to
Kabra, the ceremony practised
in the rural areas of India is
only for social authentication
of an agreement between two
families to marry their wards
at an opportune age much
later. He adds that, child
marriages do not result in early
pregnancies or more children
as child bride never goes to the
husband’s house after the
marriage. The real age at
which the marriage is
consummated is 17 to 19 years
(Kabra,,
1997). While there is a
widespread recognition that
girls should begin regular
cohabitation only after they
attained puberty, the custom
was customarily violated.
Once
the marriage had been
performed, a lot of domestic,
especially feminine pressures
pull
the wife into the husbands
family much earlier than
puberty (Sarkar, 1993: 1875).
According to Singh, since
women work outside the
home, the girl is an economic
asset,
and therefore her parental
family tries to keep her with
them for as long as possible
(1994: 1378). According to
Kabra, the ceremony practised
in the rural areas of India is
only for social authentication
of an agreement between two
families to marry their wards
at an opportune age much
later. He adds that, child
marriages do not result in early
pregnancies or more children
as child bride never goes to the
husband’s house after the
marriage. The real age at
which the marriage is
consummated is 17 to 19 years
(Kabra,,
1997). While there is a
widespread recognition that
girls should begin regular
cohabitation only after they
attained puberty, the custom
was customarily violated.
Once
the marriage had been
performed, a lot of domestic,
especially feminine pressures
pull
the wife into the husbands
family much earlier than
puberty (Sarkar, 1993: 1875).
INTERPRETATION:

 73.5% of the respondents belong to the age range of 18-24 and 10.2% responses
belong to the age range of 25-31.
 36.7% of the respondents are females and 63.3% respondents are males.
 51.8%, 37.5%, 10.7% respondents belong from Navi Mumbai, Mumbai and Thane
cities respectively.
 It has been observed that 41.1%, 39.3%, 8.9%, 7.1% are graduates, post-graduates,
SSC and HSC qualified students respectively.
 It has been observed that 93.9% people feel safe in their relationship with partner or
family.
 It has been observed that 44.9% of people know about mental DV while the rest 49% know
about physical DV and few of them know about sexual DV.
 The highest count of DV happens in Delhi and Bihar as per the observation.
 More than 34.7% people have seen or heard a woman getting slapped, kicked, pushed or
physically hurt by a current or intimate partner.
 According to the observation 38.8% people have seen a woman getting physically
abused and " NO ONE TAKING A STANF FOR HER ".
 According to the observation 30.6% have seen attempt to strangulation, 28.6% have not
been a victim of DV while 10.2% have seen woman being burnt.
 Observation says the highest percentage having 32.7% were husband and wife and the
least 14.3% were family members in terms of relationship with the abuser.
 Observation says that 83.7% times males were the abuser.

FINDINGS:

 According to this observation the victim should go to the police.

 Male gender was the abuser in general.
 Relationship with the abuser: Husband Wife.
 DV me or someone I know has experienced: Attempt to strangulation.
 Most of them never take stand for this pathetic behaviour.
 Highest DV cases have been in Delhi and Bihar.

RECOMMENDATIONS
 Comprehensive and extensive premarital counselling should be given to intending
couples on how to manage their marital relationship.
  There should be public enlightenment through the mass media on the negative effects
of domestic violence against women, especially wife battering.
 Religious leaders too should vigorously teach against marital violence in their places
of worship.
 Youths should be encouraged and taught to detest and not imitate brutish treatment of
wives around them.
 Medical professionals, after physical treatment should refer the victims to
counsellor’s and psychotherapists.
 Punishment given to grievously offending husbands should be publicized, so that it
can serve as deterrence to others.

CONCLUSION:
After looking at the delicate subject of "Domestic Violence in India," we can appreciate the
significance of talking about it. Careful analysis of the various circumstances that might start
violence inside of a home is necessary, and a thorough investigation of the causes of the
violence may spare a family from the threat of domestic violence.
The effects of domestic violence may go far beyond and deeper than what has been discussed
in this essay. It is necessary to extensively examine the relationships between the variables
that contribute to a specific type of domestic violence. India would be a lot better place to live
if these elements could be managed since then several forms of violence could not injure a
person or our society.

FUTURE SCOPE/ STUDY:

Further study can be conducted in other cities using the same questionnaire as well the target
audience taken into consideration during this survey are youth so future scope can be that the
same questionnaire can be used to understand the psycho-sociological study of domestic
violence amongst women in India.