The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in Domestic Violence: A Psychological Perspective

Abstract

The United Nations Organization defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life” (United Nations Organization 1993). Domestic violence—the violence perpetrated by an intimate partner or family members with whom the victim shares a domestic space—is gender-based violence which is suffered by 35% of women worldwide (World Bank 2019), regardless of age, race, class and religion. This can create serious physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health problems in the survivors. The most underlying risk factor for gender-based violence is social norms regarding gender roles that make women inferior to men and the acceptability of partner violence. Though it is often acknowledged by law, violence against women at physical, mental, financial, and sexual levels is often discussed behind closed doors, and unfortunately, thousands of cases remain unnoticed and unregistered. Survivors of domestic violence are not only in a state of helplessness but also learn to normalize it when they lose their capacity and confidence to respond. Though there is a burgeoning literature on the structural, cultural, and psychological aspects of domestic violence, little research has been done on domestic violence from a cognitive dissonance perspective in the Indian context. As per the National Crime Record Bureau report 2021, the State of Chhattisgarh reports 7344 cases of crime against women of which 963 cases were classified under the Section 498 A of IPC that is cruelty by husband or relatives. Though only 13% of the cases were reported under Section 498 A of IPC, many cases remain unregistered and unnoticed. Hence, the present paper proposes to explore the importance of cognitive dissonance mechanisms and associated factors which affect victims to stay in the domestic violent relationship. Thus, the present study is a humble step in this direction, so that adequate measures could be taken by the concerned stakeholders, policy makers or government.