4 8 ▁conv ict ions ▁and ▁ 3 8 7 6 ▁acqu itt als ▁in ▁dow ry ▁death ▁cases ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Dow ry ▁death s ▁A ▁dow ry ▁death ▁is ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁a ▁young ▁woman ▁in ▁South ▁Asian ▁countries , ▁primarily ▁India , ▁who ▁is ▁murder ed ▁or ▁driven ▁to ▁suic ide ▁by ▁her ▁husband . ▁This ▁results ▁from ▁the ▁husband ▁contin ually ▁attempting ▁to ▁extract ▁more ▁dow ry ▁from ▁the ▁b ride ▁or ▁her ▁family . ▁B ride ▁burning ▁is ▁just ▁one ▁form ▁of ▁dow ry ▁death . ▁O thers ▁include ▁acid ▁throwing ▁and ▁E ve ▁te asing . ▁Because ▁dow ry ▁typically ▁depends ▁on ▁class ▁or ▁so cio e conom ic ▁status , ▁women ▁are ▁often ▁subject ed ▁to ▁the ▁dow ry ▁press ures ▁of ▁their ▁future ▁husband ▁or ▁his ▁relatives . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁of ▁b ride ▁burning ▁There ▁are ▁at ▁least ▁four ▁pers pect ives ▁on ▁why ▁b ride ▁burning ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁and ▁how ▁its ▁existence ▁has ▁pre va iled ▁in ▁South ▁Asian ▁nations , ▁as ▁detailed ▁by ▁Av n ita ▁L akh ani ▁in ▁her ▁report ▁on ▁b ride ▁burning ▁titled ▁" The ▁Ele ph ant ▁in ▁the ▁Room ▁Is ▁Out ▁of ▁Control ". ▁These ▁theories ▁describe ▁practices ▁that ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁dow ry ▁as ▁a ▁whole , ▁thus ▁ultimately ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁b ride ▁burning . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁cult ur ally - f ounded ▁theories ▁suggests ▁that ▁in ▁a ▁highly ▁patri arch