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Violence Perpetrated by Mothers-in-Law in Northern India

Perceived Frequency, Acceptability, and Options for Survivors

Bibliographic Data

ID5768751
AuthorsMaya I Ragavan (0000-0003-4443-6829, Boston Medical Center, corresponding author), Maya Ragavan (Boston Medical Center, MA, USA), Kirti Iyengar (0000-0003-1674-9617, Action Research and Training for Health, Udaipur, India)
Year2017
Volume35
Issue17-18
Pages3308-3330
Publication date2017-05-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Interpersonal Violence (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0886-2605 • E-ISSN: 1552-6518
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0886260517708759
PMID29294754
OpenAlexW2614433372
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited26

In India, physical and psychological abuse perpetrated by a mother-in-law against a daughter-in-law is well documented. However, there is a dearth of literature exploring the perceived frequency and acceptability of mother-in-law abuse or options available for survivors of this type of abuse. The goal of this qualitative study was to add to the in-law abuse literature by exploring men's and women's perspectives about physical and psychological abuse perpetrated by mothers-in-law against daughters-in-law in northern India. Forty-four women and 34 men residing in rural and urban areas of the Udaipur district in the northwest state of Rajasthan participated in semistructured interviews. Women, but not men, thought mother-in-law abuse was common in their communities. Psychological abuse was accepted in certain situations; however, few male or female participants agreed with physical mother-in-law abuse. Men were described as mediators in the context of mother-in-law abuse, and male participants thought that disrespecting a mother-in-law was a justifiable reason for a man to hit his wife. Both male and female participants described few options available for a woman experiencing mother-in-law abuse, apart from asking her husband to intervene or living as a separate, nuclear family. Grassroots initiatives and legislative policy should focus on addressing the immediate needs of women experiencing mother-in-law abuse and developing intergenerational interventions to educate men and women about the dynamics of law abuse

Elder abuse · Grassroots · Physical abuse · Psychological abuse · Child Abuse and Trauma · Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse · Intimate Partner and Family Violence

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Unique citing works11
Citations per year1,38
Citation span2018 - 2026 (9)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 11
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