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Abstract
This needs assessment study explores the underreporting of domestic violence against women survivors. It focuses on the Indian state of Bihar, which has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the nation and yet a low rate of reporting. Social norm theory is used as a lens to explore this discrepancy. The study draws on secondary data from the India 2015-2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) to examine: (1) the extent to which there is a discrepancy between the prevalence of domestic violence and the rate of reporting DV for married women in the state of Bihar, and (2) how barriers to reporting domestic violence relate to social norms in Bihar. Results from a multivariate logistic regression (N = 1053) indicate that social norms are not predictive of the rate of reporting DV in Bihar. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.