Key Social Norms Take-aways Intimate partner violence in peri-urban southern India is sustained by gender norms that reinforce male authority, women’s obedience, and women’s responsibility for maintaining marriage and family privacy. Violence was sometimes considered justified when women were perceived as disobedient, failed to fulfill household duties, or were unfaithful, while stigma and expectations that women remain silent discouraged disclosure and help-seeking. The authors emphasize that empowering women to speak out is insufficient without addressing the social norms and unequal power dynamics that normalize violence, victim-blaming, and silence. Community dialogue and multilevel approaches that engage men, women, and adolescents are needed to challenge these norms and prevent violence.

Objectives To explore how adolescents and adults in two peri-urban communities in southern India perceive different forms of intimate partner violence, its drivers and consequences, and individual and community responses to violence.

Methods This qualitative study was conducted in Mugalur and Handenahalli, Karnataka, from September 2019 to January 2020. Using purposive sampling, researchers conducted seven focus group discussions and 33 in-depth interviews with 89 adolescents and adults aged 15–48 years, including males and females and married and unmarried participants. Interview guides explored gender norms and gender-based violence, including circumstances that justify violence, perceived risk factors and triggers, sexual violence, expected responses to violence, and prevention. Transcripts were thematically analyzed using deductive coding, with triangulation, intercoder reliability checks, member checking, and peer debriefing.

Results Participants described emotional, verbal, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence. Key drivers included limited social support, lower socioeconomic status, work-related stress, alcohol use, perceived disobedience, and infidelity. Gendered expectations were prominent: some participants justified violence when women failed to perform household responsibilities, while women were often expected to remain silent to avoid escalation and protect the family’s reputation. Disclosure could lead to gossip, stigma, blame, or further violence. At the same time, some participants encouraged seeking family, community, police, or counseling support, and many men expressed willingness to oppose violence in their communities.

Conclusions Intimate partner violence remains prevalent in these peri-urban communities, where misogynistic attitudes, stigma, unequal gender expectations, and limited awareness of its health consequences constrain community support for survivors. The authors recommend survivor-centered, community-based responses alongside broader efforts to transform the social norms that enable violence to persist.