Domestic violence: profile of married women availing institutional help Ragesh G1,*, Sabitha C2, Sajitha K3, Hamza Ameer4 1PhD Scholar, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bangalore-29, Karnataka, India 2Supervisor, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Kozhikode Urban No. 3, Kozhikode, Kerala, India 3Psychiatric Social Worker, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bangalore-29, Karnataka, India 4Additional Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bangalore-29, Karnataka, India *Correspondence: G Ragesh, MPhil, PhD Scholar, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bangalore-29, Karnataka, India, rageshpsw@gmail.com
Online published on 2 January, 2017. Abstract Background In India, women are not keen to seek formal help to solve the issue of domestic violence (DV). Aim and objectives Current study attempted to understand the profile of women who sought or availed institutional help (legal/counselling services etc.) to address DV. Material and Methods Data were collected from sixty women aged between 18 years and 50 who faced domestic violence from their husbands. Results Most of the respondents were young, unemployed and not well educated. They faced physical, emotional & verbal, sexual and economic types of violence from husbands and husbands'family members. Their children also witnessed DV. Perceived causes for DV were; husbands ’exposure on their parental violence, psychoactive substance abuse, dissatisfied sexual life, extra marital relationships in husbands and influence of other wife-beating family members. Most of them felt that DV as their fate and had attempted suicide. Even though many of them received legal help; many felt that, legal help was not adequate in addressing DV. Conclusion Importance of mental health approach to address DV has been discussed. Top Keywords Mental Health, Law, Intimate Partner Violence. Top |