Abstract
Protection Officers are pivotal in tackling domestic violence under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of Protection Officers in enforcing the provisions of the Act and assisting victims in accessing the reliefs outlined within it. The paper also aims to examine the challenges faced by Protection Officers in delivering services and safeguarding the rights of victims. Additionally, it offers recommendations on how these issues can be addressed within the existing legal framework, supported by judicial insights and observations.
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Protection Officer, Victim.
1.1 Introduction
Domestic violence against women is a critical global issue that affects women across all demographics, regardless of age, caste, religion, education, economic status, or nationality. It involves abusive and violent behavior by an individual towards their partner, spouse, or any family member within a domestic relationship. Domestic violence is also known by other terms such as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, family violence, and intimate partner violence.
This violence can take various forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, and economic violence. Physical violence may involve actions such as hitting, slapping, kicking, punching, pushing, grabbing, or even more severe acts like assault with a weapon (e.g., knives or guns), burning, or murder. Emotional abuse can include controlling behavior, threats, humiliation, and manipulation, while economic abuse involves restricting access to financial resources. Sexual violence includes any form of unwanted sexual contact or coercion. Domestic violence can manifest in multiple ways, all of which cause harm to the victim and disrupt the stability and safety of the household.
The root causes of domestic violence are often linked to societal and cultural beliefs that view women as inferior to men and weaker both physically and emotionally, reinforcing traditional gender roles where men are seen as providers and women as homemakers. In patriarchal societies, women are treated as subordinate, denied basic rights such as property ownership, religious participation, and decision-making power, creating a power imbalance that fosters an environment conducive to domestic violence.
Other factors contributing to domestic violence include dissatisfaction with dowry, mistreatment by the husband or in-laws, infidelity, alcohol or drug abuse, the economic dependence of the wife, poverty, the desire for a male child, as well as issues related to upbringing and education. The National Family Health Survey-5 report indicates that 71% of women whose husbands frequently drink alcohol have experienced physical or sexual violence, compared to just 23% of women whose husbands do not consume alcohol. Thus, husbands who drink regularly are more likely to engage in domestic violence than those who abstain from alcohol[1].
Domestic violence has far-reaching consequences, not only for the victim but also for children and the entire family. It causes physical harm and severely impacts the victim’s economic, social, and emotional well-being. For women, common effects include unwanted pregnancies, forced abortions, suicide, addiction to alcohol or drugs, anxiety, and depression. Children exposed to domestic violence may experience short-term effects like dropping out of school, suicide, substance abuse, and depression. Over time, they may internalize the violence as a normal way to exert control, increasing the likelihood of them perpetuating domestic violence in the future.
[1]NFHS Report-5 (2019-2021)