DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN INDIA: LONG-TERM HARMS AND THE LIMITS OF THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACT, 2005

Abstract

Domestic violence in India continues to be one of the most widespread yet deeply silenced forms of gender-based violence. While the immediate physical injuries of domestic violence are visible and documented, the long-term consequences suffered by survivors remain largely invisible to both law and society. This paper examines the enduring effects of domestic violence on women survivors in India across psychological, physical, social, and economic dimensions. The National Family Health Survey-5 reveals that nearly thirty percent of Indian women between eighteen and forty-nine years have experienced spousal violence.1 Research consistently shows that survivors develop serious long-term conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic depression, and anxiety disorders that persist for years after the violence ends. Children who witness domestic violence within households further carry these traumatic experiences into adulthood, creating cycles of intergenerational trauma that extend the harm beyond the immediate survivor. Beyond psychological damage, domestic violence leaves survivors economically dependent, socially isolated, and physically weakened through chronic health conditions. This paper argues that understanding these long-term effects is essential for building effective policy responses, support systems, and legal frameworks that go beyond immediate protection to address genuine recovery and rehabilitation of survivors in India.