Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the Capital Province of Sri Lanka Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Help Seeking

• NCJ Number: 237246
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 17 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2011 Pages: 1086-1102
• Author(s): Vathsala Jayasuriya; Kumudu Wijewardena; Pia Axemo
• Date Published: August 2011
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article presents findings on intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

This article presents findings from a cross-sectional community survey exploring intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in the Western province of Sri Lanka. Findings show that lifetime prevalence of physical violence (34 percent), controlling behavior (30 percent), and emotional abuse (19 percent) was high and the prevalence of sexual violence was low (5 percent). Young women and those with partners who abused alcohol/drugs and had extra-marital affairs are at increased risk of violence. Although living in a patriarchal society, low prevalence of child marriages and lack of dowry-related violence could be to Sri Lankan women's advantage relative to their Asian counterparts in preventing IPV. (Published Abstract)