Domestic violence: The “male” gender

Domestic violence is a common problem in India and generally discussed in terms of women being the victim. Men are almost always considered perpetrators. However, with changing times, socioeconomic structure, and misuse of domestic violence laws more and more men are subjected to domestic violence. Yet domestic violence against men is not recognized by the law in India. The general perception is that men cannot be victims of violence.

Domestic violence was recognized as a criminal offence in India in 1983.  The offence is chargeable under section 498-A of the Indian Penal Code that states that domestic violence is any act of cruelty by a husband (or his family) towards his wife (NFHS, 2006). However, an absence of civil law that could address the complexities associated with domestic violence lead to introduction of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act of 2005. This act protects women against husbands and partners who are physically, sexually, emotionally, verbally, or economically abusive.  

National Family Health Survey (NFHS, 2004) has found that about 1.8% or an estimated 60 lakh women have perpetrated physical violence against husbands without any provocation. The husbands are mostly threatened and attacked by the male relatives of the wives. The most common form of physical violence is slapping (Malik & Nadda, 2019). Other forms of physical domestic violence against men include pushing, shoving, throwing utensils and cellphones. Sexual violence is rarely reported. According to a survey conducted by Malik and Nadda (2019) in rural Haryana, out of 1000 men 51.5% suffer from abuse at hands of their wives/partners with emotional violence being the most common one. Emotional and psychological violence includes insults in front of others, threatening to send husband and his family to jail under false allegations of dowry, domestic violence, or rape charges.

The video attached with this article recounts stories of men who were abused at the hands of their wives and wrongfully charged under Domestic violence Act 2005 and Section 498-A of the Indian Penal code. These charges are primarily misused by women to extort money from the husband’s family or settle scores. Men when approach police to file a complaint are ridiculed or thrashed. On the contrary when their wives reach out to police, a report against them is filed immediately.

The contrasting nature of action against men and women is deeply rooted in the patriarchy society where “mard ko dard nahi hota” (men do not feel any pain) is the principal slogan. The concept of men getting beaten by women is very difficult to comprehend in a patriarchal society because men have always been portrayed as a stronger gender (perpetrator) and women as a weaker (victim). The physical or sexual violence against men questions their masculinity, image of provider and protector rendering it impossible for them to report such incidences. The concern for losing custody of child, social stigma and fear of being charged with criminal and civil offences (498-A & Domestic violence act) are other factors resulting in overwhelming under reported cases of domestic violence against men. Moreover, majority of cases drag on for years and end up favoring women because they are considered as victim.

 

There is an urgent need for gender-neutral laws that do not differentiate domestic violence on basis of gender. The laws should focus on spousal violence irrespective of the gender. Human rights and gender equality organizations and activist should raise awareness regarding this issue. More studies and research should be undertaken to demonstrate the prevalence of domestic violence against men. These studies will provide evidence to support claims for gender neutral laws. The bigger picture involves reformation of the society where men and women are perceived as equals rather than perpetrator and victim respectively. I believe it’s high time that domestic violence against men should be recognized as punishable offence in India.

Link to the video:

https://www.thequint.com/news/india/stories-male-victims-domestic-violence-india#read-more  

References

Deshpande S. Sociocultural and Legal Aspects of Violence Against Men. Journal of Psychosexual Health. 2019;1(3-4):246-249. doi:10.1177/2631831819894176

Malik, JS, Nadda, A. A cross-sectional study of gender-based violence against men in the rural area of Haryana, India. Indian J Community Med. 2019;44(1):35.

National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3). 2005–06 Domestic Violence: India. Vol. 1 Mumbai: International Institute for Population Sciences; 2007. Retrieved from http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FRIND3/15Chapter15.pdf