This study was designed to assess patterns of family conflict and violence directed toward pregnant women in India. Two hundred and forty women in their first, third, and fourth pregnancies were interviewed using a structured interview with primarily open ended questions. Content analysis provided response categories for constructing categorical and cumulative scales of the families' conflict/violence patterns, coping behaviours, attribution patterns, percieved societal norms, socialisation patterns, and demographic considerations. The conflict/violence frequencies found ranged from mild to severe patterns of abuse that are similar to patterns of abuse found in other cultures. However, the patterns of correlate measures of abuse reflect cultural aspects of family dynamics specific to India. Implications for intervention approaches for women in India and further research in the area are noted.
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