Exploring Domestic Violence among Women in India: Prevalence, Correlates, and Implications

This article assesses the frequency of domestic violence in India and investigates the demographic and socioeconomic condition of domestic abuse victims. The Indian National Family Health Survey 3, a cross-sectional survey of ever-married women of reproductive age, was employed in the study. Respondents’ lifetime experiences with violence were as follows: emotional violence (14%), less severe physical violence (31%), severe physical violence (10%), and sexual violence (8%). Domestic abuse was particularly common among women of scheduled castes and Muslims. Women’s lower socioeconomic position, employment status, and their husband’s controlling conduct appeared as important predictors of domestic violence in India. Domestic violence may be avoided if the indigenous coercive institutions of religion, caste, and the traditional male hierarchy in society were abolished.