People’s perception of domestic violence: An inquiry in Kerala

Domestic violence (DV) is everyday terrorism within the home context across cultures. The universal portrayals of female victims and male perpetrators are still prevalent. With the emergence of a pandemic-specific lifestyle, DV surged at an alarming rate worldwide. Although the conformist patriarchal notions in our society persistently try to normalize DV, people are getting aware of this social evil with governmental and non-governmental initiatives. In this context, this qualitative study was framed to explore the DV perceptions and experiences of people in Kerala. Ten couples (N=20) were interviewed in-depth to elicit data. A thematic analysis of data revealed the meaning that participants attached to DV, its causes, effects, and their experiences of DV. In addition, this study garnered participants’ opinions on preventive measures for DV. The codes, subthemes, and themes answered the research questions. The result revealed that men are less likely to experience DV; therefore, women empowerment, gender sensitization, and attainment of gender equality can abolish DV.