"Growing up, my home never felt like a place of comfort": A narrative exploration of childhood exposure to Intimate Partner Violence among young Badaga men.

BACKGROUND

Childhood exposure to intimate partner violence is recognized as a significant form of maltreatment with potential long-term psychosocial consequences. While much existing research had concentrated on women or mixed-gender samples, perspectives of young male adults remain largely absent. In indigenous contexts, such as the Badaga community in south India, patriarchal traditions and cultural norms of masculinity may further silence these experiences, leaving their narratives overlooked in research.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore how young Badaga adult males who were exposed to IPV during childhood construct meaning from their experiences.

PARTICIPANTS AND

SETTING

Using respondent- driven sampling, unmarried Badaga adult males aged 18-25 years residing in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu were recruited.

METHODS

A narrative inquiry approach was employed to privilege storytelling as both method and phenomenon. In-depth interviews allowed participants to situate recollections of childhood adversity within broader life stories. Narratives were examined using Labov's structural analysis, capturing six key elements - Abstract, Orientation, Complicating Action, Evaluation, Resolution, and Coda - to understand meaning-making.

RESULTS

Six interrelated dimensions shaping participants' experiences: emotional disclosure, family dynamics, witnessing traumatic experiences, identity formation, healing trajectories, and present integration. These dimensions illustrated how cultural norms, family contexts, and gendered expectations intersected to shape resilience and vulnerability in young adulthood.

CONCLUSION

Participants made sense of their CEIPV by silencing pain, assuming early responsibilities, and navigating cultural expectations of masculinity. While these tensions sometimes fostered resilience, they also produced maladaptive patterns, illustrating how violence, societal norms, and meaning-making together shaped developmental trajectories.