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KNOWING ABOUT THE MALES' PERSPECTIVE REGARDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH
1ZARIF SHAD, 2DR. HAMIDA BIBI 1Ph.D. Research Scholar Islamia college University Peshawar. Email zarifshad.pk@gmail.com 2Assistant Professor, Department of Pakistan Studies, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University
Peshawar.
Abstract
Domestic violence is a common phenomenon. Men and women are perpetrators and victims of domestic violence in varying nature that are relative to families, situations, culture and society. Keeping this notion in view, this study aimed to investigate about the men's perspective about domestic violence in District Dir Lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Based on methodology this research is quantitative in nature whereas based on purpose it is descriptive. This research is deductive in nature. District Dir Lower was selected as universe of the study. The target population of the study were male portion of the population and women were not included in the study. Stratified random sampling procedure was used to select samples from the population. The study sample size consisted of 384 respondents. Sample size was drawn through proportional allocation method of inquiry while utilizing the Sakaran design of population. Due to low socio-economic status of women, men believe that deserves to threaten, beaten or controlled. Men considers themselves as superior on sexual basis and perceives themselves to be economically independent leading to domestic violence. Women's physical weakness is also a cause that makes men to think that they can abuse and threat women. The coercive control is one way on which men dominates women leading to cases of domestic violence such as controlling women through abuse, threatening, and making them economically dependent. Key words: domestic violence, Men, Masculinity, Coercive
1. Background of the Study
Domestic violence encompasses range of behaviors and acts, for example, to Macionis (2012) it is a pattern of coercive and assaultive behaviors that include physical, sexual verbal and psychological attacks and economic coercion that adult/ adolescence used against the intimate partner. Often it is associated with women, for example, women are the only victims that is wrong. I n general, often women are also perpetrators in domestic violence while the men are victims; however, in general women are the victim while men are perpetrators. Keeping in view the definition of Macionis (2012) this study defines domestic violence as any act or behavior that is coercive and or assaultive pertaining physically, economically, or psychologically harming the intimate partner, for example, husband being perpetrator and women being victim or otherwise.
Masculinity is embedded in culture whereby it is the demand of masculinity to have control over women and men have meet these cultural expectations as supported by (Johnson and Ferraro, 2000). Johnson and Ferraro assert that husbands tend to control wives in certain manners, for example, guiding their behavior to do few things and to avoid few things. Kelly & Johnson (2008) adds that couples tend to adopt to certain behaviors in order to have control over the behaviors of each other whereby to some extent it is fine but, in many cases, it leads to coercion. There is evidence that men often apprehend about the relationship of wives with office mates and may tend to adopt ways in which the wife is told to not talk or negotiate with office mates. It depends upon the situations as well such as in case of disagreement with the family of wives, husbands tend to control their behaviors. Johnson (1995) labels this type of coercion among couples as intimate terrorism whereby in majority of cases and usually it is done by the husband or the male partner in relationship. The basic motive behind this coercive behavior is notion of domination and male are culturally motivated to be dominant in intimate relationships.
The coercive control theory sheds light on the issue of domestic violence from coercion and control point of view. Masculinity is embedded in culture whereby it is the demand of masculinity to have control over women and men have meet these cultural expectations as supported by (Johnson and Ferraro, 2000). Johnson and Ferraro assert that husbands tend to control wives in certain manners, for example, guiding their behavior to do few things and to avoid few things. Kelly & Johnson (2008) adds that couples tend to adopt certain behaviors in order to have control over the behaviors of each other whereby to some extent it is fine but, in many cases, it leads to coercion. There is evidence that men often apprehend about the relationship of wives with office mates and may tend to adopt ways in which the wife is told to not talk or negotiate with office mates. It depends upon the situations as well such as in case of disagreement with the family of wives, husbands tend to control their behaviors. Johnson (1995) labels this type of coercion among couples as intimate terrorism whereby in majority of cases and usually it is done by the husband or the male partner in relationship. The basic motive behind this coercive behavior is notion of domination and male are culturally motivated to be dominant in intimate relationships.
2. Objectives and Hypotheses of the Study
• To know about men's perspective of women's socio-economic status paving way for domestic violence
• To research about ways in which men use coercive control methods leading to domestic violence
Hypothesis One: low socio-economic status of women is strongly correlated with prevalence of domestic violence
Hypothesis Two: coercive control over women is strongly correlated with prevalence of domestic violence
3. METHODOLOGY
Based on methodology this research is quantitative in nature whereas on the basis of purpose it is descriptive. A deductive approach is used whereby the justification of using deduction in this research is embedded in the fact that domestic violence is widely prevailing phenomenon that has been observed at some point in time in each family in different forms. The issue of domestic violence has been specified to its causes and consequences in male's perspective and the consequences of it. District Dir Lower was selected as universe of the study. According to the census report 2017 there are 37 union councils and seven tehsils in Dir (lower) and inhabits 797,853 populations. Stratified random sampling procedure was used to select samples from the population. This study was conducted in tehsils of District Dir (Lower) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. The study sample size consisted of 384 respondents. Sample size was drawn through proportional allocation method of inquiry while utilizing the Sakaran design of population. A sample size of 384 is enough sample size to generalize the results to any number of populations with 0.05 confidence level. Details of the strata are as under:
Table Break-u 3 Sample size
S. No Tehsils Population Sample Size
1 Timergara 94000 138
2 Adnezai 86000 126
3 Balambat 82000 120
4 Total 262,000 384
Source; Population statistic 2017
As the issue is related to general population; therefore, within strata convenient sampling was used. The questionnaire was an appropriate tool for data collection and was be used for educated respondents while for uneducated respondents an interview schedule was used. This study didn't not use pre-designed questionnaire; therefore, to ensure reliability and validity the questionnaire will be tested through Crobach's alpha. The collected data was analyzed through using statistical techniques
i.e., univariate, and bivariate level respectively. Chi-square test as well as regression analysis were applied to known relationship among variables. Chi-square test has been applied to judge the association among variables through cross-tabulation method whereas regression has been applied to judge the correlation (along with the degree of correlation such as small, moderate, and high degrees) among variables. The significance level for both tests is 0.05. 4. Data Analysis 4.1. Descriptive Analysis
Table no. 01: The status of women domestic violence
S. No Statements/items Strongly agree Agree No opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree Mean
1 Men believe that the status of women is such that she deserves to threaten, beaten or controlled 109 (27.8 %) 202 (51.66 %) 39 (9.97 %) 26 (6.64 %) 15 (3.83 %) 2.07
2 Men are given prestigious status in terms of sexual characteristics and therefore they can subjugate women 100 (25.57 %) 196 (50.12 %) 54 (13.81 %) 21 (5.37 %) 19 (4.85 %) 2.14
3 Women must not be empowered to become economically independent, and violence is one way to control women 119 (30.43 %) 226 (57.80 %) 25 (6.39 %) 13 (3.32 %) 8 (2.04 %) 1.89
4 Men perceive that religiously they have been given the authority to beat or suppress women 143 (36.57 %) 212 (54.21 %) 15 (3.83 %) 11 (2.81 %) 10 (2.3 %) 1.80
5 Men's perception of women's physical weakness is linked with inferior social position leading to domestic violence 180 (46.03 %) 183 (46.8 %) 17 (4.34 %) 6 (1.53 %) 5 (1.3 %) 2.16
6 Men perceive that women are dependent on them and therefore they can treat them as they want 57 (14.6 %) 296 (75.7 %) 21 (5.4 %) 10 (2.6 %) 6 (1.5 %) 2.01
Table no. 03 is illustration of the status of women in the society and how it is linked with men's perception leading to cases of domestic violence. In this context, 109 (27.8 %) respondents strongly agreed that men believe that the status of women is such that she deserves to threaten, beaten or controlled whereas as high as 202 (51.66 %) of the respondents agreed with it. 39 (9.97 %) of the respondents had no opinion about it while 26 (6.64 %) of the respondent disagreed that men believe that the status of women is such that she deserves to threaten, beaten or controlled. 100 (25.57 %) and 196 (50.12 %) respondents respectively strongly agreed and agreed with the statement that men
are given prestigious status in terms of sexual characteristics and therefore they can subjugate women while 54 (13.81 %) had no opinion about it. A small number of the respondents i.e., 21 (5.37 %) and 19 (4.85 %) disagreed and strongly agreed with the mentioned argument. 119 (30.43 %) and 226 (57.80 %) respondents respectively strongly agreed and agreed with the statement that Women must not be empowered to become economically independent, and violence is one way to control women but 25 (6.39 %) respondents had no opinion about it while 13 (3.32 %) disagreed to the statement. A significant majority of the respondents, for example, 143 (36.57 %) and 212 (54.21 %) marked strongly agreed and agreed to the statement that Men perceive that religiously they have been given the authority to beat or suppress women while only 15 (3.83 %) had no opinion about it. 180 (46.03 %) and 183 (46.8 %) of the respondents respectively strongly agreed and agreed with the statement that men's perception of women's physical weakness is linked with inferior social position leading to domestic violence while 17 (4.34 %) respondents didn't opined about it. 57 (14.6 %) respondents strongly agreed that men perceive that women are dependent on them and therefore they can treat them as they want whereas as high as 296 (75.7 %) of the respondents agreed with it. But 21 (5.4 %) had no opinion about it while 10 (2.6 %) of the respondents disagreed with the statement.
Table no. 02: Controlling the women: the coercive control
S. No State me nts/ite ms Strongly agree Agree No opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree Mean
1 The use of verbal and emotional abuse is important to have control over women 107 (27.36 %) 196 50.12 %) 57 (14.57 %) 20 (5.11 %) 11 (2.81 %) 2.01
2 Men do not allow women to do political participation as it poses threat to the authority of men; this control makes women weak and vulnerable to domestic violence 170 (43.47 %) 181 (46.29 %) 19 (4.85 %) 20 (5.11 %) 1 (0.3 %) 1.72
3 Men do not allow women to do job making them dependent on men leading to domestic violence 119 (30.43 %) 226 (57.80 %) 25 (6.39 %) 13 (3.32 %) 8 (2.04 %) 1.89
4 It is the demand of masculinity to have control over women and men have meet these cultural expectations 181 (46.29 %) 174 (44.5 %) 21 (5.4 %) 14 (3.58 %) 1 (0.3 %) 1.68
5 It is important to beat and threat women to ensure that she feels weak 114 (29.15 %) 201 (51.4 %) 11 (2.81 %) 34 (8.69 %) 31 (7.92 %) 2.15
Table no 04 provides a detailed description that how men use coercive techniques (leading to domestic violence) to control women. in this regard, majority of the respondents, for instance, 107
(27.36 %) and 196 (50.12 %) marked strongly agreed and agreed against the statement that the use of verbal and emotional abuse is important to have control over women. 57 (14.57 %) respondents had no opinion about, but 20 (5.11 %) respondents opted for disagree. 170 (43.47 %) and 181 (46.29 %) of the respondents respectively strongly agreed and agreed with the statement that men do not allow women to do political participation as it poses threat to the authority of men; this control makes women weak and vulnerable to domestic violence while 20 (5.11 %) respondents disagreed. Further, 119 (30.43 %) and 226 (57.80 %) %) of the respondents respectively strongly agreed and agreed with the statement that men do not allow women to do job making them dependent on men leading to domestic violence whereas 25 (6.39 %) had no opinion about it. Similarly, majority that is 181 (46.29 %) and 174 (44.5 %) respondents opted for strongly agree and agree respectively that it is the demand of masculinity to have control over women and men have meet these cultural expectations; 21 (5.4 %) respondents had no opinion about it while 14 (3.58 %) respondents disagreed. Lastly, 114 (29.15 %) and 201 (51.4 %) of the respondents respectively strongly agreed and agreed with the statement that it is important to beat and threat women to ensure that she feels weak; however, 34 (8.69 %) and 31 (7.92 %) of the respondents disagreed and strongly disagreed respectively. 4.2 Chi-square Test
The Chi-square test is applied to check the association among variables. Chi-square test is widely used to check the association among variables that are qualitative. The significant level for the Chi-square test is 0.05.
Low Socio-economic Status of Women * Prevalence of Domestic Violence
Chi-Square Test
Value Exact Sig. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 4.055 0.000
a. 636 cells (97.7 %) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 0.00.
b. Computed only for a 2x2 table
With the value of p=0.000, the chi-square test result showed a significant result. This shows that there is association between Low Socio-economic Status of Women and Prevalence of Domestic Violence.
Coercive control * Prevalence of Domestic Violence
Chi-Square Test
Value Exact Sig. (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 3.35 0.000
a. 512 cells (97.2 %) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 0.00.
b. Computed only for a 2x2 table
With the value of p=0.050, the chi-square test result showed a significant result. This shows that there is association between Coercive control and Prevalence of Domestic Violence.
4.3 Regression Analysis
Low socio-economic status of women and Prevalence of domestic violence
Variables Entered/Removedb
Model Variables Entered Variables Removed Method
1 lOW SOCIO-ECO STATUS3 Enter
a. All requested variables entered.
Variables Entered/Removedb
Model Variables Entered Variables Removed Method
1 lOW SOCIO-ECO STATUS3 Enter
b. Dependent Variable: Prevalence of domestic violence
In the above table low socio-economic status of women is entered as independent variable and prevalence of domestic violence as dependent variables. Therefore, it was hypothesized that socioeconomic status of women is strongly correlated with prevalence of domestic violence.
Model Summary
Adjusted R Std. Error of
Model R R Square Square the Estimate
1 .954a .909 .909 1.73330
a. Predictors: (Constant), lOW SOCIO-ECO STATUS
The above table incudes the R and R2 values whereby the R value is 0.954 (in the "R" Column), which indicates a high degree of correlation between socio-economic status of women and prevalence of domestic violence. The R2 is 0.909 which is large in this case showing a high degree of correlation among socio-economic status of women and prevalence of domestic violence.
ANOVAb
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 11697.742 1 11697.742 3.894E3 .000a
Residual 1168.682 389 3.004
Total 12866.425 390
a. Predictors: (Constant), lOW SOCIO-ECO STATUS
b. Dependent Variable: Prevalence of domestic violence
The significance value is p=0.000. This indicates a significant correlation among socio-economic status of women (as an independent variable) and prevalence of domestic violence (as dependent variable). The data is good for fit.
Coefficients3
Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) 4.840 .225 21.549 .000
LOW SOCIO-ECO STATUS 1.069 .017 .954 62.399 .000
a. Dependent Variable: Prevalence of domestic violence
The Coefficients in the regression analysis provides a statistically significant relationship among socio-economic status of women (as an independent variable) and prevalence of domestic violence (as dependent variable).
4.15 Coercive control and Prevalence of domestic violence
Variables Entered/Removedb
Model Variables Entered Variables Removed Method
1 COERCIVE CONTROL3 Enter
a. All requested variables entered.
b. Dependent Variable: Prevalence of domestic violence
In the above table coercive control is entered as independent variable and prevalence of domestic violence as dependent variables. Therefore, it was hypothesized that coercive control over women is strongly correlated with prevalence of domestic violence.
Model Summary
Adjusted R Std. Error of
Model R R Square Square the Estimate
1 .942a .887 .887 1.93322
a. Predictors: (Constant), COERCIVE CONTROL
The above table incudes the R and R2 values whereby the R value is 0.942 (in the "R" Column), which indicates a high degree of correlation between coercive control and prevalence of domestic violence. The R2 is 0.987 which is large in this case showing a high degree of correlation among coercive control and prevalence of domestic violence.
ANOVAb
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 11412.601 1 11412.601 3.054E3 .000a
Residual 1453.824 389 3.737
Total 12866.425 390
a. Predictors: (Constant), COERCIVE CONTROL
b. Dependent Variable: Prevalence of domestic violence The significance value is p=0.000 which indicates a significant relationship between independent variable that is coercive control and dependent variable that prevalence of domestic violence. The data is good for fit.
Coefficients8
Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients
Model B Std. Error Beta t Sig.
1 (Constant) 5.448 .243 22.418 .000
COERCIVE CONTROL 1.302 .024 .942 55.260 .000
a. Dependent Variable: Prevalence of domestic violence
The Coefficients in the regression analysis provides a statistically significant relationship between independent variable that is coercive control and dependent variable that prevalence of domestic violence. 4.4. Discussion
The findings as per this study shows that domestic violence prevails in the study's local due to low socio-economic status of women. Men's perception is significant in this regard, for instance, men
believe that the status of women is such that she deserves to threaten, beaten or controlled as well as men considers themselves as prestigious on the basis of sexuality. Further, women must not be empowered to become economically independent, and violence is one way to control women is also a commonly prevailing perception about women leading to incidences of domestic violence. Religion has been found as a significant contributing factor in the construction of men's perception about women leading to domestic violence as men perceives that religiously they have been given the authority to beat or suppress women. Men's perception of women's physical weakness is linked with inferior social position leading to domestic violence is also evident as a significant contributing factor in the construction of men's perception about women leading to domestic violence. Similarly, it is also evident that men perceive that women are dependent on them and therefore they can treat them as they want which paves way for women to be vulnerable to domestic violence. Women empowerment is obviously a concern in Pakistan since its independence. Mahmood (1999) found a direct correlation between low women empowerment and domestic violence in Pakistan. But it is imperative to pin down that the overall socio-economic status of women is connected to low women's empowerment, for example, the low educational and economic profile of women. There are many domains of low women's empowerment in Pakistan; first, they are are not part of mainstream decision-making process in the family (at micro level). We can extend this discussion through different indicators such as women cannot take their decision to get married. In this case they are weak, and weakness makes them vulnerable to be the victim of domestic violence. Second, Mahmood found that many incidences of domestic violence occur due to stress because of poverty whereas poverty was resulted from greater number of children. Women are not empowered enough to take decision and any effort to be a part of decision-making process can lead to domestic violence (Shaikh, 2000).
The current study shows that controlling the women such as the coercive control is one way on which men dominates women leading to cases of domestic violence. In this connection, men are of the opinion that the use of verbal and emotional abuse is important to have control over women along with ensuring to not allow women to do political participation as it poses threat to the authority of men; this control makes women weak and vulnerable to domestic violence. Masculinity is embedded in culture whereby this study shows that it is the demand of masculinity to have control over women and men have meet these cultural expectations. It has also been found that men perceive that it is important to beat and threat women to ensure that she feels weak. Johnson and Ferraro (2000) assert that husbands tend to control wives in certain manners, for example, guiding their behavior to do few things and to avoid few things.
5. CONCLUSION
men believe that the status of women is such that she deserves to threaten, beaten or controlled; the feelings of men being prestigious based on sexuality leads to domestic violence. Men think that they are economically independent and the perception among men that religiously they have been given the authority to beat or suppress women. Women's physical weakness is also a cause that makes men to think that they can abuse and threat women.
The coercive control is one way on which men dominates women leading to cases of domestic violence. The use of verbal and emotional abuse is important to have control over women. Men do not allow women to do job making them dependent on men. It is the demand of masculinity to have control over women and men have meet these cultural expectations and therefore it is important to beat and threat women to ensure that she feels weak.
REFERENCES
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[6] Mahmood,H. (1999). The Fate of Pakistani Women. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/25/opinion/IHT-the-fate-of-pakistani-women.html.
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