MARITAL DEPENDENCY AND VULNERABILITY TO INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSE: A REVIEW OF EXISTING EVIDENCE
Marital dependency is an excessive reliance on a spouse for emotional, financial, psychological, or social support, often resulting in unequal power relations within intimate relationships. Intimate partner abuse (IPA) encompasses physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, and economic violence used to maintain dominance and control within intimate relationships. This paper adopts a theoretical approach by exploring major sociological and psychological perspectives, such as social exchange theory, feminist theory, attachment theory, and learned helplessness theory, to explain why victims often remain in abusive relationships despite ongoing harm. The paper further analyzes the forms of marital dependency and looks at the nexus between marital dependence and intimate partner abuse. Additionally, the study highlights the influence of patriarchal norms, gender inequality, religious expectations, and socio-economic conditions in sustaining abusive relationship dynamics, particularly in developing societies. Findings from the theoretical review indicate that unhealthy marital dependency weakens personal autonomy, reduces self-efficacy, and increases susceptibility to manipulation, control, and abuse. The paper concludes that marital dependency is not solely an individual psychological issue but also a structural and cultural phenomenon shaped by broader social inequalities. It recommends multidimensional interventions such as economic empowerment, education, counseling, legal protection, and social support systems to reduce dependency and enhance victims’ capacity to leave abusive relationships and achieve personal well-being.
Keywords: Marital Dependency, Intimate Partner Abuse, Emotional Dependency, Coercive Control, Gender Inequality