Knowledge Levels and Attribution Beliefs about Domestic Violence in Master Level Social Work Students

Abstract

Domestic violence is a pervasive issue across societies and significantly affects the lives of victims in India. It cuts across demographic, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic boundaries and has reached alarming proportions. Given its prevalence, it is essential for graduating social workers to possess basic knowledge and skills to identify, intervene and refer individuals experiencing domestic violence. Professionals working in this field require specialised competencies to effectively support victims and their families.

This study explores social work student’s knowledge levels, understanding and blame attribution beliefs towards domestic violence against women. The sample consisted of 60 Master of Social Work students from four colleges in Karnataka. A quantitative exploratory design was employed and data were collected using self-constructed questionnaire and a domestic violence blame attribution scale.

The findings indicate that participants possess a medium level of knowledge and a fair understanding of domestic violence. However, a majority of participants tended to attribute blame to victims, while attributing the least responsibility to perpetrators. These findings highlight the need for enhanced training and sensitization of social work students on domestic violence.