Spousal Violence Among Rural Women: A Sociological Study in North-East India

Spousal violence is a grave challenge to a happy marital life. When proclivity of violence takes place in dyad relationship, it crushes the bond of family. Therefore, spousal violence has been considered as one of the most serious social problems throughout the world. Hence, this issue has a sociological significance. The theoretical arguments regarding spousal violence can be classified into different categories. But in this study specific focus has been laid upon wife-battering only. This paper seeks to know the nature of violence and to find out the causes and consequences of spousal violence in rural areas of North-East India. Apart from these two objectives, awareness and knowledge of the victims towards legislative measures to save them from spousal violence have also been investigated with proper method. The field of the study concentrates around a village namely Gooskata in North-East India. Keeping in view the objectives of the study, basic information about spousal violence was gathered from 100 married women out of 208 households of Gooskata village. The data were collected purposively and in this context accidental sampling procedure was followed. The findings of this study have revealed that rural women of North East India have been suffering from spousal violence. The relationship in between the husband and wife became more crucial and complex in rural areas, but it is also true that most of the violence have been hidden from public eye. Due to rigid traditional norms and values of rural society; victimized women never try to disclose it. The rural societies have been strictly controlled and regulated by traditional norms. This is the reason behind the failure of rural women to accept spousal violence as a serious criminal offence; which presents a grave challenge to society.