Proximate Determinants of Domestic Violence: An Exploratory Study on Role of Menstrual Problems and Life Style of Men.
S.R. Murthy, Mocherla*,1, 1 Sri Venkateswara University, TIRUPATI, ANDHRA PRADESH, India
ABSTRACT- Introduction: Domestic violence has been taking place owing to husband and wife differences in personal matters and adjustments. In order to understand the determinants of differential perception of wives and husbands about domestic violence this study is undertaken. Main Body/Results: The sample consists of 1046 couples (husbands and wives) belonging to scheduled caste/tribe (SC/ST) and Muslims from Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. The findings reveal that both husband and wife in tandem agree that domestic violence has been taking place. Acceptance of this fact was found to be more among adolescents than other age groups of women. Education level of women seems to have partial role in lessening domestic violence. Further, more proportion of Muslim men and women admit about the occurrence of domestic violence than the SC and ST women. Conclusions: Number of members in the family, menstrual problems, and type of marriage, sexual behaviour of husbands have been found to be causes of domestic violence reported by women. On the other hand men perceive work pattern, premarital and extra marital sex, smoking/ life style and number of members in the house were found to be causes for domestic violence. 
Key words: Domestic Violence, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Muslim, Adolescent married women