Religious Perspectives and Attitudes towards Domestic Violence in Married Individuals: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of religious perspectives and how they influenced the attitudes towards domestic violence in married individuals. Domestic violence is a very pervasive issue in Pakistan and there are many factors that influence an individual’s attitude towards it, a main one being religion. This study employed a qualitative method to understand the nuanced ideas and opinions of individuals. A semi structured questionnaire was developed to conduct interviews. Convenience sampling was done to select 8 individuals who were married, four men and four women. The interviews were then transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis which led to the discovery of 5 main themes, religious perspectives and teachings, nature of domestic violence, causes of domestic violence, social and cultural factors, and variations in attitudes towards domestic violence. The implications of this study will provide an understanding of the interplay of religion, culture, and domestic violence, giving way to a foundation in strategies to reduce this problem.