Battered Voices of Women in Intimate Partner Violence:A Qualitative Inquiry

Violence against women is a universal reality which cuts across cultural, religious, economic and geographical boundaries. Various forms of traditional beliefs are upheld by the human society as social ethics for controlling the sexuality and status of women. This study explored how married women perceive and accept the situations of intimate partner violence. Women from suburban background between age 18years 30 years (Mean age, 27.12 years, SD, 1-55 years) who have undergone intimate partner violence were considered for the study. The research was conducted in the natural setting of the participant. In the research, purposive sampling approach had been used and continued till sample size was met. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for eight respondents from suburban setup. Considering India's patriarchal societal culture, subjugated women and justified male violence towards women. Lack of support from family members and the fear of losing social status numbed the voices women. The current study delves into the reality of female victims of abuse who are trapped in a society where they are forced to accept violence from their partners, divorce is not a choice and where social support of women is extremely restricted.