Intra-Familial Coercive Control and Violence Experienced by Unmarried Adult Women in Jhang, Pakistan

Abstract

The issue of violence against unmarried women in their natal households is under-researched, as research on domestic violence in Pakistan has mostly been conducted on married women and intimate partners. The present study aimed to examine the experience and interpretation of intra-familial violence among unmarried adult women in Jhang, Punjab, and the impact of gendered family authority on the consequences, coping responses, and help-seeking strategies in relation to intra-familial violence. A phenomenologically informed qualitative design was used. Fifteen unmarried women aged 18 years or older were recruited from the community in Jhang using purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant. The data were analyzed manually using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Five interrelated themes emerged: violence as a form of familial discipline; verbal and psychological control through honor; economic deprivation and limited options for women; violations of sexual boundaries and enforced silence; and psychological effects and survival strategies. Participants associated these experiences with chronic fear, anxiety, diminished self-esteem, emotional suppression, and dependency. The results show that intra-familial violence against unmarried women can be an interconnected pattern of coercive control, which is justified by discourses of discipline, protection, obedience, and family honor. Violence-prevention policies and services in Pakistan should therefore extend beyond intimate-partner violence and explicitly recognize unmarried women who experience abuse within natal and extended-family networks.

Keywords: coercive control, family violence, family honor, natal household, domestic violence, unmarried women