Controlling Women’s Sexuality: The Rise of Emotional Abuse among Indian Husbands

In ancient Hindu literature, marriage is regarded as the most sacred institution while adultery—known as vyabhichāra (व्यभिचार) in Hindi—is considered one of the gravest sins. Ancient practices still have impact in 21st-century India, where internal household sanctions meant to ensure Indian wives’ chastity continue to be seen as sacred. This study describes six different types of Husband’s Controlling Behavior (HCB) that are used to preserve wives’ chastity. HCB can either take the form of emotional violence (accusing/suspecting a wife of being unfaithful) or physical violence (hitting or beating a wife out of a suspicion she is being unfaithful). This study also found that men who align and comply with the values of hegemonic masculinity are covertly shifting toward emotional violence to escape legal repercussions for their actions. By portraying HCB as a subset of domestic violence and describing the fear it instils in women, this study critiques men’s efforts to control women’s sexuality and suggests policies to regulate HCB.