Silent Suffering to Violent Endings: A Study of Marital Strain and Spousal Homicide

Abstract

A marriage is frequently viewed in Indian society as the foundation of friendship and stability. But there has been a concerning trend in recent years: an increasing number of wives are murdering their husbands. This defies gender norms and raises concerns about mental well-being of households and communities. There has been a lot of talk about violence against women in the home, but not much has been said about women who are violent in marriage in academic and policy discussions. This paper examines the psychosocial and social factors linked to spousal homicides perpetrated by wives in India. It employs criminological theories, sociological frameworks, and case studies to examine the contributions of marital strain, mental health challenges, financial disputes, and changes in gender roles to fatal violence. Using secondary data from media reports, court rulings, and NCRB statistics, the study employs a qualitative exploratory methodology. The findings show that broken marriages, unresolved, chronic pain, and a lack of psychological support are the most frequent causes of these homicides. The couple, their children, other family members, and the community at large are all impacted. The study demonstrates the significance of integrating social work techniques like marriage therapy, conflict counselling, and community awareness initiatives into India's family welfare organizations. Lastly, it asserts that social workers and legislators need to appropriately address domestic abuse because it is a two-way street.