DR.

RAM MANOHAR LOHIA NATIONAL

LAW UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW

ENGLISH
Final draft on:
Domestic violence against mentally challenged

Submitted to:
Mr. Ramji Yadav

Submitted by:
Sakshi
B.A.LL.B (II SEM.)
Roll no. - 111

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A major research project like this is never the work of anyone alone. Firstly, I would like to thank my
teacher Mr. Ramji Yadav, for giving me such a golden opportunity to show my skills and capability
through this project.
This project is the result of the extensive ultra-pure study, hard work and labour, put into to make it
worth reading. This project has been completed through the generous co-operation of various persons,
my teacher, and my seniors, who, in their different potentials helped me a lot in giving the finishing
touch to the project.
This project couldnt be completed without the help of my universitys library Dr. Madhu Limaye
Library and its internet facility.

Thank you.

Abstract
Little is known about the extent to which being a victim of domestic violence is associated
with different mental disorders in men and women. Forty-one studies were included. There is
a higher risk of experiencing adult lifetime partner violence among women with depressive
disorders, anxiety disorders, and PTSD, compared to women without mental disorders.

INTRODUCTON
Domestic violence: - It is also called domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family
violence and intimate partner violence (IPV).It is a pattern of behaviour which
involves violence or other abuse by one person in a domestic context against another, such as
in marriage or cohabitation Intimate partner violence is domestic violence by a spouse or
partner in an intimate relationship against the other spouse or partner. Domestic violence can
take a number of forms including physical, emotional, verbal, economic and sexual abuse,
which can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and to violent physical abuse
those results in disfigurement or death. It also includes domestic violence by partner as well
as family members, relatives. Now days scenarios we can see that men are also victim of
domestic violence.

Domestic violence against men deals with domestic violence experienced by men or boys in
an intimate relationship such as marriage, cohabitation, dating, or within a family. As
with domestic violence against women, violence against men may constitute a crime, but
laws vary between jurisdictions. Socio-cultural norms regarding the treatment of men by
women, and women by men, differ depending on the geographic region, and physically
abusive behaviour by one partner towards another is regarded varyingly as a serious crime to
a more personal matter.

Domestic violence happens to everyone of all races, ages, sexual orientation, religion or
gender.

Physical abuse is any intentional, unwanted contact with your body by either the abuser or an
object within the abuser's control. Physical abuse does not have to hurt or leave a bruise or a
mark.

Verbal/Emotional abuse happens when the abuser says or does something to cause you to be
afraid, lowers your self-esteem, manipulates or controls your feelings or behaviour. It can
take the form of yelling and screaming, keeping you from seeing or talking with friends and
family, stalking, intentionally embarrassing you in front of other people, threats of violence to
you or a loved one, threats to expose your secrets or take away your children, and making
you feel responsible for the abuse.

MENTALLY CHALLENGED: It is a condition in which person is not able to understand

things around him/her. Person does not behave like a normal person.

This terminology

combines many different illnesses and disorders associated with people's mental states into
one group. Many who are mentally challenged face physical and mental problems that
prohibit them from having a normal life.
So person suffering from mental illness is likely to have suffered more violence (domestic
violence) than that of person who does not have mental illness. Main cause might be that they
are not in condition to understand things, not in condition to control things. Because of their
mental illness people misuse their illness. Attitudes and behaviour against mentally ill also
the reason of domestic violence. Over time, attitudes toward the mentally challenged have
increasingly become more compassionate and understanding, and improved diagnosis,
treatment and care of people in this group has given them greater opportunity to function as
regular members of society.
It was concluded that Mental health professionals need to be aware of the link between
domestic violence and mental health problems, and ensure that their patients are safe from
domestic violence and are treated for the mental health impact of such abuse.

Mentally ill people are more likely to be victims and more likely to have experienced
intimate partner violence than the general population.
Intimate partner violence includes physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or economic
abuse by partner or relatives.
The links between mental illness and intimate partner violence are all too well known. It is
estimated that at least 60 per cent of female mental health service users are survivors.

Statistics data
1 in 4 adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. (National Institute of Mental Health,
2009)
Research indicates:

54% to 84% of battered women suffer from PTSD,

63% to 77% of battered women experience depression, and

38% to 75% experience anxiety.

Abuse rates are higher among homeless women with serious mental illnesses. A study with
99 episodically homeless women with serious mental illness, found that significant numbers
had been physically (70%) or sexually (30.4%) abused by a partner. Rates of physical or
sexual abuse in adulthood by any perpetrator were 87% and 76%, respectively.
Between 3.3 million and 10 million children witness domestic violence annually.

It affects people from all socioeconomic, educational and religious background and takes
place in same sex as well as heterosexual relationships. Women with fewer resources or
greater perceived vulnerability- girls and those experiencing physical or psychiatric
disabilities or living below the poverty line- are at even greater risk for domestic violence and
lifetime abuse.

Study done AT Kings college London of psychiatry

People with mental disorders are more likely to have experienced domestic violence,
according to new research.
While previous research into the link between domestic violence and mental health problems
focused on depression, this new study from UK researchers at Kings College Londons
Institute of Psychiatry and the University of Bristol looked at a wide range of mental health
problems in both men and women.
The researchers reviewed data from 41 studies around the world. Compared to women
without mental health problems, women with depression were around 2.5 times more likely
to have experienced domestic violence over their adult lifetime (prevalence estimate 45.8 per
cent).
Women with anxiety disorders were over 3.5 times more likely to have experienced domestic
violence (prevalence estimate 27.6 percent), and women with post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) were around 7 times more likely (prevalence estimate 61 percent).
Women with other disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), eating
disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, were also at an increased risk of domestic
violence compared to women without mental health problems, according to the researchers.

Men with all types of mental disorders were also at an increased risk of domestic violence.
However, prevalence estimates for men were lower than those for women, indicating that it is
less common for men to be victims of repeated severe domestic violence, the researchers
noted.
In this study, we found that both men and women with mental health problems are at an
increased risk of domestic violence,
In the UK, the 2010/11 British Crime Survey reported that 27 percent of women and 17
percent of men had experienced partner abuse during their lifetime, with women experiencing
more repeated and severe violence than men.
Prolonged exposure to threatening life events, including domestic violence, is associated with
the onset, duration and recurrence of mental disorders, and men and women with mental
disorders are at an increased risk of experiencing violence. Recent reviews have suggested
that being a victim of domestic violence is common among people with mental disorder.
Domestic violence is a major public health issue: 20% of women from England and Wales
report physical and sexual assault by a current or former partner when financial and
emotional abuse and threats of abuse are included, this increases to 25% of women. Two
women are murdered by their partner or ex-partner every week in England and Wales and
similar figures are reported internationally. One in seven men in the UK also report
experiencing physical assault by a current/former partner, although these incidents are
generally less serious than those reported by women. Domestic violence is associated with
depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, insomnia, alcohol and drug misuse,
suicide attempts and exacerbation of psychotic symptoms. It is therefore not surprising that
higher rates of domestic violence are experienced by mental health service users compared
with the general population.
Violence is a cruel human behaviour existing since time immemorial. WHO defines violence
as - The inten-tional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself,
another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood
of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development, or depriva-tion. The
Oxford Dictionary has defined violence as behaviour involving physical force intended to

hurt, damage or kill someone or something. Violence ranges from verbal abuse to that
leading to death, from domestic violence to war and terrorism. Every individual in this world
are violence prone. Females are relatively more prone to violence as compared to the males.
There are several risk factors for violence, out of which mental illness is a very important risk
factor. Mentally sick women are often ignored in the family, work place as well as
everywhere in the society. They are the innocent sufferers of verbal, physical and sexual
abuse. Now a day, when campaigning is going on promoting mental health and value is given
to the rights of mentally ill. It is high time to give emphasis in prevention of violence against
mentally sick women.
Despite of facing violence, most of the sufferer women do not leave the violent situation due
to reasons like - Dependence on her partners money or earnings Fear, shame, guilt
Family pressure to keep the marriage in tact Cultural or religious reasons Children
Without any other place to go Being socially isolated (abuser keeps the woman from
interacting with friends and family so that she is emotionally dependent on him).

In study conducted in urban set up in Delhi to assess domestic violence in females of 15-49
age groups, it was found that 12% of females suffer from some sort of mental illness. It was
also reported that those who suffer from domestic violence are at increased risk to develop
mental illness and to become suicidal. A study conducted in Canada revealed that verbal /
emotional abuse is the most common and worst form of violence followed by physical and
sexual abuse. In United states, in the age group of 10 to 60 years , violence is the 5th leading
cause of death5-7. A study conducted on 270 hospitalized mentally ill patients revealed that
15.2% of them faced violence in the form of physical assault, sexual abuse, threatened or
attacked by weapon. In India, violence against women is increasing very rapidly. As per the
report of National Crime Records Bureau of home ministry of India a woman is molested
in every 26 minutes, a woman is raped in every 34 minutes; a woman is kidnapped in every
43 minutes.
(Frontline magazine of November 6, 2009, on the incident of mass whipping of women,
who were believed to be possessed, in Vellalapatti village in Tiruchi district, Govt of Tamil
Nadu taken an initiative to tackle violence against mentally ill through social security scheme
and by admitting them in rehabilitation centers.)

This is a good lesson for the other parts of the country. It is high time to take an initiative.
Violence against women is a major public health and human rights issue in the world today.
Violence is preventable. Mental illness is treatable. Though females are more vulnerable, but
societys support, political commitment and psychiatric intervention can do a miracle.

ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR

Publics attitude and behaviour toward mentally ill person is also the cause of domestic
violence. If partner thinks that mentally ill person is not able to understand things, not able to
do work, cannot live normal life, he excluded them from all opportunities. But it might be the
case that mentally ill person can live life of normal person except extra ordinary work. So
attitude and behaviour toward mentally ill person may cause cognitive violence, physical
violence toward the person. Attitude toward the person cannot let him behave normally with
that individual so he starts ignoring this individual from all the activities and it result into
isolation. So this type of behaviour also includes violence.
Public attitudes towards mental illness are more rejecting than accepting. Social rejection
increases with increasing severity of disturbance in behaviour. Public attitudes towards the
mentally ill are related to social class as measured by occupational status and to age of the
respondent. Rejection of the mentally ill is decreased by the availability of a non-deviant
alternative label. Attitudes of the general population towards the mentally ill will be
influenced by the label of mental illness as well as by behaviour indicative of mental illness.
Peoples attitudes and beliefs predict their behaviour. Peoples beliefs and attitudes about
mental illness might predict whether they disclose their symptoms and seek treatment and
support. Knowledge and beliefs that can aid in the recognition, management, or prevention of
mental health disorders are defined as mental health literacy. Tracking attitudes toward
mental illness can serve as an indicator of the publics mental health literacy. However,
improvements in neurobiological understanding of mental illness were unrelated to negative
attitudes and, in some cases, increased the odds of negative attitudes (e.g., need for social
distance, perceived dangerousness. In another study of U.S. adults, only about one fourth
agreed that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness. When asked
about how much it would be worth to avoid mental illness compared to general medical
illnesses, the public was less willing to pay to avoid mental health treatment than they were to

pay to avoid physical health treatment. These studies provide important snapshots of attitudes
toward mental illness across the country; however, studies that examine attitudes in depth
such as distinguishing between attitudes relative to perceived or experienced stigma, studies
that link attitudes to actual behaviour, or studies that track attitudes toward mental illness at
the state level do not occur routinely.

ECONOMICAL POSITION OF WOMEN:

Economic position of women might also lead to domestic violence.
This could take the form of economic abuse: a form of abuse where one partner has control
over the other partner's access to economic resources.
If a woman is economically weak, man has control all over his life.
For example mentally rerated women with economically low might have experienced more
domestic violence. Men considered them as helpless because they do not have means of
resources. So they force them to do certain and they have to do because they do not have
independent identity
Also the case of brides who are mentally rerated, men and his family take advantages of her
mental illness and treat the badly.

A guy might withhold money from a woman who collects a government disability check. The
reason a partner prevents a spouse or significant other from acquiring resources is to reduce
the victim's capacity to support him/herself, thus forcing him/her to depend on the abuser
financially.

CONCLUSION
We found consistent evidence that both men and women with all types of mental disorders
report a high prevalence and increased odds of domestic violence compared to people without
mental disorder, with women more likely to experience abuse than men. Nonetheless, across
a range of diagnoses, studies indicated that men and women with a mental disorder are at an
increased likelihood of experiencing domestic violence compared to those without a mental
disorder. For example, data from Wave II of the large US National Epidemiologic Survey on
Alcohol and Related Conditions suggests that men and women with bipolar affective disorder
were more than eight times more likely to report ever having been a victim of partner
violence. There is a high prevalence and increased likelihood of being a victim of domestic
violence in men and women across all diagnostic categories, compared to people without
disorders.