Partner violence is a social problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Official statistics show that women are the primary victims of this type of violence, mostly perpetrated by men. However, some surveys yield results that suggest a "symmetry" in partner violence, meaning that it affects men and women equally.
This discrepancy has generated an intense debate among researchers. Why do surveys sometimes not reflect the reality shown by official statistics? A new study conducted at the CIMCYC of the University of Granada sheds light on this question.
A study shows that the way questions are asked about partner violence influences the results
The study, published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, focuses on three factors that can influence the results of surveys on partner violence:
- The consequences of violence: not taking into account the physical and psychological harm suffered by victims, which is usually greater in the case of women.
- Survey instructions: a lack of clarity in the questions can lead participants to include behaviors that are not considered partner violence according to legal or diagnostic criteria.
- The types of violence included: some surveys do not consider forms of violence that are typically asymmetrical, meaning they are mostly perpetrated by men, such as economic violence or social isolation.
To investigate these factors, two studies were conducted on the Spanish population. In the first, the authors analyzed the relationship between partner violence and its consequences in a sample of university students. The results showed that women suffer worse consequences from violence than men.
In the second study, they experimentally manipulated the instructions of a survey on partner violence and added questions about asymmetrical types of violence. The results revealed that when the instructions are clear and all types of violence are included, a greater asymmetry in partner violence is observed, meaning that it affects women more than men.
The researchers used the Partner Victimization Scale (PVS), a scale that seeks to clarify the context of violence by including the instruction "not including games or jokes" before each question. This clarification helps participants not to include behaviors that do not constitute partner violence in their answers.
The study also highlights the importance of evaluating the consequences of violence and including questions in surveys about forms of violence that are usually asymmetrical, such as threats of harm to children, economic violence, and social isolation.
These studies contribute to the debate on the symmetry/asymmetry in partner violence, providing empirical evidence on the factors that can bias survey results. By taking these factors into account, more accurate data can be obtained that reflect the reality of partner violence and allow for the development of more effective interventions.
Authors: Antonella Ludmila Zapata-Calvente, Miguel Moya y Jesús L. Megías.
Reference
Zapata-Calvente, A. L., Moya, M., & Megías, J. L. (2024). Unveiling the Gender Symmetry Debate: Exploring Consequences, Instructions, and Forms of Violence in Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605241289477