Intimate partner violence against women in the capital province of Sri Lanka: prevalence, risk factors, and help seeking
Jayasuriya, V.; Wijewardena, K.; Axemo, P.
Violence Against Women 17(8): 1086-1102
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 1552-8448 PMID: 21890530 DOI: 10.1177/1077801211417151Document Number: 228766
This article presents findings from a cross-sectional community survey exploring intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in the Western province of Sri Lanka. Findings show that lifetime prevalence of physical violence (34%), controlling behavior (30%), and emotional abuse (19%) was high and the prevalence of sexual violence was low (5%). Young women and those with partners who abused alcohol/drugs and had extra-marital affairs are at increased risk of violence. Although living in a patriarchal society, low prevalence of child marriages and lack of dowry-related violence could be to Sri Lankan women's advantage relative to their Asian counterparts in preventing IPV.