Perception of Unmarried Men about Domestic Violence and Traditional Harmful Masculinity

Abstract

This study investigated the perceptions of unmarried men living in Lahore toward domestic violence and harmful traditional masculinity. Additionally, this study examined the role of socioeconomic factors influencing unmarried men’s perceptions of domestic violence and harmful traditional masculine traits. The cross-sectional survey included 470 men aged 24-35 who were unmarried and belonged to three separate groups using purposive sampling. These groups included final-year university students, employed men with degrees, and unmarried men without degrees. The Attitudes toward Domestic Violence Scale and short Man Box Scale along with a demographic form were used for data collection. Inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The results found that traditional harmful masculinity traits are positively linked with all aspects of attitudes toward domestic violence. Although most background characteristics did not have statistically significant correlations to the study's findings, statistically significant differences were found in factors related to mothers’ employment status, mothers’ education level, occupation category, birth order, media habits, and levels of organizational membership were found. Consequently, the research indicates that early family socialization and environment at home as well as exposure to different types of media could play a role in shaping unmarried males’ attitudes toward violence. Therefore, prevention programs that promote healthy masculinity before marriage may be helpful in reducing the rate of domestic violence.