Physical and Sexual Abuse of Wives in Urban Bangladesh

Men residing in slums had a greater likelihood than those residing in nonslum areas and in district municipalities of perpetrating lifetime and past-year physical intimate partner violence, and any lifetime (physical or sexual) intimate partner violence. Low socioeconomic levels were associated with men’s increased likelihood of perpetrating intimate partner violence. Alcohol and drug use, sexually transmitted disease infection, poor mental health, and holding attitudes supportive of wife beating were predictive of intimate partner violence perpetration.

This article examines the prevalence of physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by husbands against their wives in Bangladesh and identifies risk markers associated with such violence. These results suggest that IPV-prevention programs targeting men should consider spousal abuse, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors as social and public health problems and should also consider the sociocultural context within which men who abuse their partners are embedded.

Reference:

Sambisa, W., Angeles, G., Lance, P. M., Naved, R. T., & Curtis, S. L. (2010). Physical and sexual abuse of wives in urban Bangladesh: husbands’ reports. Studies in family planning, 41(3), 165-178.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1728-4465.2010.00241.x/full