Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Mahek Singh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Social Work, Punjabi University, Patiala, IN

Abstract

This study is an attempt to investigate the help seeking behaviour of women who visited all the five Family Counseling Centers in Chandigarh during the period April 2009 to March 2010. The study analyzed the reasons of their seeking help and the relief/help expected by them from the Family counselling centre. A better understanding of the role of the factors in professional help seeking decisions is very important for Counsellors and other decision makers to design strategies and educational programmes that may help in reducing the bottlenecks/barriers in seeking help. The present study shows that a large percentage of sample did not ask for anyone's help for tackling their problems though their problems were of fairly long standing. The barriers to their seeking help were not knowing whom to approach, fear of humiliation, guilt and shame, isolation of self, social pressure, financial dependence and a hope that things will improve.

Keywords

Family Counseling Centers: Help Seeking Behaviour of Women, Marriage, Marital Disputes, Couple Therapy.

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Mahek Singh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Social Work, Punjabi University, Patiala, IN

Abstract

The present study investigates the services being provided by the Family Counseling Centers (FCCs) established in the Union Territory of Chandigarh, with the funds provided by the Central Social Welfare Board. A total of 547 beneficiaries who availed of the services of these FCCs during the financial year 2010-2011 were personally interviewed and administered a structured interview schedule. It was found that FCCs provide counselling and guidance services, referrals, mediation as well as facilitation to many families in distress. The results further revealed that the FCCs are offering services to the beneficiaries irrespective of their age, sex, or relationship within the family and indeed are working as 'Family Crises Intervention Centres".

Keywords

Family Counseling Centers, Marital Disputes, Guidance and Counselling, Beneficiaries.

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Mahek Singh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Social Work, Punjabi University, Patiala, IN

Abstract

Domestic violence continues to be a reality for Indian women in the 21st Century. It has been attributed to a range of factors, both old and new, but primarily stemming from the patriarchal social and financial structures, which results in an uneven distribution of power within the family. Victims report an array of triggers: inability to have a male child, unemployment of a woman or her husband, "insufficient" dowry, extramarital relationships, drug addiction, refusal to have sex, adjustment problems in a joint family and so on. The present study is an attempt to analyze the extent, patterns and the factors leading to domestic violence against women who sought help from all the five Family Counseling Centers situated in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The study analyzed the demographic charactenstics of the women;the means and methods adopted by the perpetrators of violence,their relationship with the victim as well as the circumstances leading to such violence;and the specific solutions expected by these women from the FCCs. Out of a total of 315 women visiting FCCs between April 2009 and March, 2010, 169 ( 53.6%) reported experiencing domestic violence in the shape of physical, emotional/psychological, economic, verbal and/or sexual abuse. Most of these women were of low educational background. They were house-wives/ unemployed and thus economically dependent on their husbands or the perpetrators of violence. The study observed that the type of marriage (love/arranged/love-cum-arranged) had no impact on the incidence of domestic violence. The study further observed that the main reasons why these women continued to suffer domestic violence in the order of the importance given to these factors by the women were financial dependence on their husbands or perpetrators of violence,a feeling of guilt and shame, and a hope that the situation would improve. It was also found that a majority of sufferers of domestic violence reported feelings of anger/anxiety/loss of sleep, followed by emotional withdrawal, suicidal/self destruction thoughts/depression and substance abuse. Most of these women approached FCCs for seeking help in getting divorce/separation/maintenance from their husbands, for getting police protection, and for registering criminal cases against their husbands, or in-laws for dowry demand. A large number of them wanted drug-deaddiction help for their husbands.

Keywords

Domestic Violence, Family Counseling.

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