Literal question
Did your (last) (husband/partner) ever:
- How often did this happen during the last 12 months: often, only sometimes, or n
Interviewer instructions
Again, it is necessary to ask the questions according to the actual marital status of the respondent. The questions have several different parts. Each part should be read out slowly and clearly so that the respondent hears the entire question before responding. After each question, pause and give the respondent sufficient time to answer. Answering these questions could be particularly difficult for the respondent so be patient.
DVD4A/B/C and DVD4A1/B1/C1: In these questions we are interested in knowing whether the respondent has suffered any form of emotional abuse by her current husband/partner if she is currently married or her last husband/partner if she is formerly married. As in earlier questions, first read the introductory statement then ask each item slowly and clearly. If the answer to an item is YES circle code 1 and then ask question DVD4A1/B1/C1 to determine how often the incident occurred in the preceding 12 months.
The answer codes for DVD4A1/B1/C1 are OFTEN, SOMETIMES, and NOT IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. Respondents may not always give you an answer in these terms. For example, a respondent may ask "What do you mean by 'often'?" In this case you should respond with "Whatever you yourself consider to be often." If she gives you a quantitative answer such as "It happened once or twice last year," then use the following general rule of thumb: If it occurred 5 or more times, code it as OFTEN. If it occurred 1-4 times, code it as SOMETIMES.
In DVD4A, we are trying to determine whether or not the respondent has felt humiliated because of something her husband said or did in front of others. The focus is on her feeling humiliated, not on what the husband said or did to humiliate her. For example, if a respondent says "He likes to scold me in front of guests and I feel really embarrassed and ashamed," circle code 1 and ask question DVD4A1.
In DVD4B we want to know whether or not the husband has done something that made the respondent feel afraid for either herself or someone she cares about (such as her children, her mother, her friends, etc.). The type of harm threatened is not important here; rather the respondent's own perception that there was a threat is important. If the respondent says YES, circle code 1 and ask question DVD4B1.
In DVD4C, we want to know whether her husband makes her feel bad about herself by insulting her or by any other means. Examples include making her feel that she is no good at anything she does, she does not know how to behave, etc. Again, we are not interested in what he does or says, but whether the end result is that the respondent feels that she herself is just not good enough. If the respondent says YES, circle code 1 and ask question DVD4C1.