Demonic possession: Narratives of domestic abuse and trauma in Malaysia

Abstract

This paper reports on research conducted with female survivors of domestic abuse in Malaysia. Every society deploys certain constructs and stories concerning domestic abuse that serve to continue its cultural and societal normalisation and the control of female survivors in particular. Here, we focus on the deployment of a particular set of narratives centring on demonic possession. Demonic possession, a widespread spiritual belief in Malaysia and elsewhere (e.g., Boddy, 1994;Bourguignon, 1978), is discussed by research participants both as an explanation for perpetrators' abusive behaviour and for their own symptoms of trauma during and after the relationship. Some perpetrators draw on this narrative to justify their behaviour, and the connection between demonic possession and domestic abuse is often reiterated by others. We

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