Why women suffer domestic violence in silence: Web-based responses to a blog

Background & Aim: Domestic violence (DV) is a global socio-cultural concern faced by a majority of women. DV has a negative impact on women’s social, physical, and psychological wellbeing. Objective was to explore perceptions regarding contributing factors to domestic violence among women. Methods & Materials: A qualitative descriptive exploratory method was applied for the study. Purposive sampling was used to select participants through emails to respond to the web based blog created for the study. 41 worldwide participants shared their perceptions through the blogs in the study. The data were collected using a web-based discussion forum on the Urban Women Health Collaborative (UWHC), an internet-based social networking site, during March 2011. Data were analyzed, and categories and themes were extracted using a content analysis approach. Results: The major theme “Traditional values justifying domestic violence against women” emerged from the analysis of the participants’ blog. Under this major theme, four categories were extracted which include: socio-cultural attitudes towards women; trapped in the vicious cycle of violence; DV is a power game; and the misinterpretation of legal insinuations and religious practices. Conclusion: Women face DV due to social cultural practices and inequities in society. This implies that effective interventions are needed at several levels: individual, family, and community to prevent the violence and to provide a safe and respectful environment for the women in the society.