“Domestic violence by marital partner continues to be
the most common form of violence against women.
Its acceptance and frequent justification poses challenge
to the empowerment of women,’’ notes a new pilot study
titled “Domestic violence against nurses by their marital
partners” covering nurses at the All-India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.
The study, authored by Kamlesh Kumari Sharma and Manju
Vatsa of the AIIMS College of Nursing and published in the
Indian Journal of Community Medicine, states that physical
and sexual violence affects the nurses’ physical and mental
health and leads to an inability to concentrate, loss of confi-
dence in their ability and inability to work.
“Over half of the study subjects (56.7 per cent) reported that
physical or sexual violence affected their overall well-being.
Being slapped was the most common act of physical violence
(40 per cent), 18.86 per cent nurses were physically abused
while pregnant.
Worse, 45.8 per cent of the physically abused victims were
kicked/beaten when pregnant,’’ noted the study.
Higher violence was reported if husband had lower educati-
onal status or indulged in drinking. “The prevalence of
violence decreased with increased number of rooms in the
house and increase of education of the couple.
Increased rooms probably meant more personal space and
privacy and hence better understanding.
Higher socio-economic status was also reported to have pro-
tective effect against domestic violence in a nation-wide study
in India,” revealed the study.
In India, statistical evidence on the prevalence of domestic
violence against nurses, its characteristics, impact, and their
perceptions regarding acceptable behaviour for men and
women are non-existent.
“To understand the issues related to domestic violence among
nurses the present study was planned.
Domestic violence is a sensitive and intimate issue. The study
subjects were selected from four departments at the Institute –
main hospital, private wards (new and main hospital), Dr. Bhim
Rao Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital and Dr.
Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences. Here nurses
work in three shifts.
Nursing is one of the most women-centred professions and is
impacted by violence on several fronts. There are high levels
of role conflict with the domestic role and significant level of
occupational stress,” note the authors in their published work.
The study also points out that wife-beating was believed to be
justified under certain circumstances by 42 per cent of the
respondents, while 10-20 per cent women said that they did not
have the right to refuse sex.
These findings were found to be similar to a World Health
Organisation’s multi-country study (2005) findings. “The
perceived impact of violence in the form of health and other
effects like sickness/absenteeism was very high and sugges-
ted a need for intervention at the workplace,’’ concludes the
study.
Source : THE HINDU,
16 August 2012
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