Violence against women in India: an integrative review

Abstract

Violence against women (VAW) is a prevalent social problem within and outside of the home. This is particularly the case for women living in societies that promote patriarchal ideologies, such as India. Using content analysis and an integrative review approach, this study focuses on the following goals: 1) to examine the state and nature of the recent research available on VAW in India, 2) to understand the significant predictors and outcomes of such violence, 3) to synthesise and document the policy and prevention recommendations by scholars, and 4) analyse the barriers that justify or promote such behaviour and stall prevention efforts. The study criteria include articles published between 2014 and 2018, in English, those articles that have undergone original research in peer-reviewed journals and focused on VAW in India. A total of 49 studies were included and the results indicate that much of the research is quantitative in nature, demographic and familial factors were often identified as predictors of VAW in India, and VAW was often related to health-related outcomes. Further, various policy recommendations and barriers were identified by scholars examining VAW in India.