Violence against Women in India: An Analysis of Correlates of Domestic Violence and Barriers and Facilitators of Access to Resources for Support

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Domestic violence (DV) is a significant public health problem in India, with women disproportionately impacted. This study a) identified risk and protective correlates of DV and, b) barriers and facilitators for seeking and receiving help for DV among women in India.

Methods

A systematic search of 5 databases was performed to identify correlates of DV in the quantitative literature. The search resulted in inclusion of 68 studies for synthesis. For qualitative exploration, data were collected from 27 women in India.

Results

While factors such as social norms and attitudes supportive of DV were both risk correlates and barriers to addressing DV, women's empowerment, financial independence and informal sources of support were both protective correlates of DV as well as facilitators in addressing DV.

Conclusions

Strong efforts in India are needed to reduce DV-related risk factors and strengthen protective factors and enhance access to care for women in abusive relationships.

KEYWORDS:

• Domestic violence
• women
• help-seeking
• resources

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Conflict of Interest

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01MD013863) and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health & Human Development (R00HD082350). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.