Coping with domestic violence: women's voices in Bangladesh

Marc Van Der Putten,Amee Nur-E-Jannat

doi:10.1108/jhr-02-2020-0026

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims offer a benchmark by providing an account of women's experiences with domestic violence in Bangladesh and develops illustrations on coping with abuse.Design/methodology/approachA case study design was adopted, applying an emic perspective in employing a qualitative research approach to explore and describe women's experiences with and perceptions about domestic violence and their ways of coping in Sherpur District, Bangladesh. In total 25 recently married women participants were purposively sampled by snowballing. In-depth interview data facilitated a latent thematic content analysis.FindingsThe findings indicate that women adopt a range of responses to domestic violence. Two key aspects of coping surfaced in the narratives: (1) emotion-driven and (2) problem-driven approaches to abusive situations. Findings point to a range of research issues that require further study such as domestic violence and taboo; somatization; structural gender inequalities; male perpetrators; family dynamics and the intersections of these issues and contexts.Originality/valueA more proactive way of coping resulted in resilience amidst an abusive environment, whereas passive ways of coping led to a life in distress. It is important however, to understand ways of coping as a continuum rather than a dichotomy.

Highlights

Domestic violence makes women in families and societies captive, whether through physical, financial, psychological or social abuse or any combination of these
The “social learning theory” presumes that abusive or violent behavior is learned throughout childhood experience; the “family systems theory” looks at the functioning and interactions of the entire extended family who tend to blame the victim; and the “feminist theory” argues that a patriarchal society supports male power, female submission, and inequities that lead to violence against women [13]
Women residing in Sherpur District, Bangladesh participated in this study

Summary

Introduction

Domestic violence makes women in families and societies captive, whether through physical, financial, psychological or social abuse or any combination of these. Women experiencing domestic violence face both short and long-term physical, psychological, and social consequences impacting their health and well-being. The precursors and effects of domestic violence against women in South Asian societies are well-documented [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. The “social learning theory” presumes that abusive or violent behavior is learned throughout childhood experience; the “family systems theory” looks at the functioning and interactions of the entire extended family who tend to blame the victim; and the “feminist theory” argues that a patriarchal society supports male power, female submission, and inequities that lead to violence against women [13]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion