Key Social Norms Take-aways Findings suggest that community-level norms around intimate partner violence (IPV) are the strongest predictors of women’s justification of IPV in Bangladesh. Specifically, living in communities where wife beating is widely accepted significantly increases the likelihood that women will also view IPV as justified, regardless of their individual characteristics. This underscores the need for norm-shifting interventions that go beyond individual-level factors and target entire communities.
Objectives The study aimed to examine two main research questions: (1) whether women’s individual-level justification of IPV varies depending on their autonomy, and (2) whether permissive community norms around wife beating are associated with women’s acceptance of IPV.
Methods The study analyzed data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), a nationally representative dataset. The final sample included 13,611 currently married women aged 15–49 years. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between individual and community-level factors and women’s attitudes toward IPV.
Results Approximately 32% of the women justified wife beating in at least one of five scenarios, with the most common justification being arguing with the husband (29%). Community-level acceptance of wife beating emerged as the strongest predictor of individual justification: a one-unit increase in the community acceptance index raised the odds by 4.5 times. Women with secondary or higher education, frequent media exposure, and greater mobility or decision-making autonomy were significantly less likely to justify IPV. However, autonomy effects were mixed—women with decision-making power over their own healthcare were paradoxically more likely to justify IPV. The effects of urban residence and regional location lost significance once community norms were controlled for, suggesting that shared community beliefs, rather than geography alone, drive IPV acceptance. These findings highlight the complex interplay between individual empowerment and social context.
Conclusions Community norms significantly shape individual attitudes toward IPV. Even when individual women have greater autonomy or education, living in a community where IPV is normalized can override these protective factors. This highlights the critical need for community-based interventions that challenge and transform social norms that condone wife beating. Such efforts could include mobilizing community leaders and using mass media to shift perceptions about the acceptability of IPV.