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Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the Capital Province of Sri Lanka Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Help Seeking

NCJ Number
237246
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 17 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2011 Pages: 1086-1102
Author(s)
Vathsala Jayasuriya; Kumudu Wijewardena; Pia Axemo
Date Published
August 2011
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article presents findings on intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in Sri Lanka.
Abstract
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 percent), controlling behavior (30 percent), and emotional abuse (19 percent) was high and the prevalence of sexual violence was low (5 percent). 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. (Published Abstract)