I propose a novel empirical strategy to measure the cultural justification of
domestic violence within households. Leveraging survey data on individual
attitudes and high-frequency time-use diaries, I construct an index that
captures the alignment between stated beliefs and actual household behaviors.
Using structural equation modeling (SEM), I disentangle the latent normative
component of domestic violence tolerance from reported attitudes alone. The
results indicate substantial heterogeneity by gender, social norms and
household roles, suggesting that time allocation patterns provide a powerful
lens to understand hidden norms. This approach has substantial implications
for both policy evaluation and future data collection efforts.
Keywords: Domestic violence, Gender norms, Time use, Survey Data
JEL codes: J12, J16, D12, C38