Intimate partner violence- A public health issue

The aim of this study was to evaluate the socio-behavioral differences among two diverse cultures i.e. India and United States. We found that in India there was a significant role played by culture and traditional norms as affecting intimate partner violence prevalence compared to the US. It was also observed that certain risk factors like substance abuse, mental illness/stress-syndromes, acceptability of violence as a means to resolve conflict, limited access to education and training, women's economic dependence on men, were common in both the countries . On evaluating this socio-behavioral issue across an ecological model, we saw that at the individual level marital discourse and substance abuse in both cultures are the major contributors to intimate partner violence. At the family level if violence is witnessed by the children, it is consistently associated with the children later becoming the perpetrator or victim of Intimate Partner Violence. The Community level input can have a positive or negative social capital effect. The macro system level evaluates the norms that accept the unequal distribution of power. We found that several public health interventions are in place in both countries but the enforcement varies. We need to train the medical community to screen, treat and refer such incidences, sensitize the police and judicial systems to enforce the current laws and educate individuals and community. Domestic violence is an important public health issue and empowering women at all social, cultural and financial levels should significantly reduce the incidence of intimate partner violence.