• 2022-11-11
• admin
• Domestic violence, Stop, mental health
• 1780

Domestic Violence : The Indian Picture

In India, domestic violence is legally defined as “actual or threats of physical, mental, emotional, sexual or verbal abuse, as well as harassment regarding dowry or property.” It is prevalent across all sections of society in the country. The signs of domestic violence may not always be obvious and a large percentage of domestic violence cases never see the light. According to the National Family Health Survey, 27% of women above the age of 15 have experienced physical violence at home, with the numbers being slightly higher for rural families (Saaliq, 2018). Moreover, 31% of married women in India face physical, sexual or emotional violence at the hands of their husbands. Notably, economic violence, in the form of withholding money or economic resources is not taken into account in statistics. Oftentimes, domestic violence cases don’t make it to the court as the woman’s family may face shame and guilt and also because the burden of proof is placed on women.

Domestic violence has several mental health implications. This includes an increased occurrence of depression and anxiety among victims of domestic violence. Additionally, victims may also develop post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, which may result in associated flashbacks, nightmares, hyper-vigilance etc. In severe cases, victims of domestic violence may be
driven to self-harm or even suicide. Additionally, many perpetrators of domestic violence may engage in gas-lighting, which is “a technique of psychological manipulation that makes the victim doubt their sanity”.

Finally, victims of domestic violence may also fall into a cycle of learnt helplessness, wherein they feel that there is no chance of escape from the abusive situation as previous attempts have not been successful. Therefore they give in and accept their circumstances, and may refuse help when provided (Shah, 2019). In India, the main legal protections against domestic violence come from three laws:
1. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
2. The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
3. Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.
The first of these, the protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005) is a civil law that protects women in a household from men in a household. This law extends to women who are in live-in relationships. This law also affirms women's rights to seek protection against domestic violence, live in a shared household and get maintenance from the abuser where they are no longer cohabiting.

The Dowry Prohibition act is a criminal law that punishes people asking or demanding Dowry via imprisonment. Section 498A of the IPC is a criminal legislation that applies to husbands or relatives who are cruel to women. Cruelty is defined as any act or conduct that drives women to suicide or harms their physical or mental health grievously (Dharmadhikari, 2019).
All women can contact the National Commission for Women Helpline in case they face domestic abuse at 109/ 1921.

Some additional helplines for women are enlisted below. We hope to raise awareness to support victims of domestic violence.

References:

Dharmadhikari, S. (2019). Watch: These are the laws in India against domestic violence. Retrieved from-https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/watch-these-are-laws-india-against-domestic-
violence-97543.

National Commission For Women. (n.d.). Helplines. Retrieved from http://ncw.nic.in/helplines.

Saaliq, S. (2018). Every Third Woman In India Suffers Sexual, Physical Violence at Home. Retrieved from-https://www.news18.com/news/india/the-elephant-in-the-room-every-third-woman-in-india-faces-domestic-violence-1654193.html.

Shah, P. F. (2019). How To Find Domestic Violence Counselling, Helplines And Support In
India. Retrieved from https://www.naaree.com/domestic-violence-helplines-india/.

Women’s experiences of Domestic Violence and Abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://
www.healthtalk.org/peoples-experiences/domestic-violence-abuse/
womens-experiences-domestic-violence-and-abuse/impact-domestic-violence-
and-abuse-womens-mental-health.