Back to Search
Start Over
Attitudes towards domestic violence in 49 low- and middle-income countries: A gendered analysis of prevalence and country-level correlates
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 13, Iss 10, p e0206101 (2018), PLoS ONE
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2018.
-
Abstract
- Background Violence against women by an intimate partner (DV) is a serious public health and human rights issue. Attitudes justifying DV strongly predict its perpetration and victimisation. This paper presents gendered ecological analyses of the societal acceptance of DV in 49 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across geographical regions. Methods and findings We utilised data from 49 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2005 and 2017, United Nations Statistics and topic-specific meta-databases. DV acceptance was measured as the justification of 'wife-beating' in at least one of five circumstances, and by the summative scale. Stepwise multiple linear regression examined country-level social, economic and political empowerment predictors of societal acceptance of DV amongst women, men, and the aggregate gender difference. Women were more likely than men to justify DV in Sub-Saharan Africa and South (east) Asia with societal acceptance of DV being more widespread in these regions compared with Latin America, the Caribbean, Central/West Asia and Europe. Political conflict and limited economic rights for women were associated with higher levels of DV acceptance amongst women and men. Men in more democratic countries were less likely to justify DV. Amongst women, higher national female literacy rates predicted lower levels of justification. There were higher levels of DV acceptance amongst women and a wider aggregate gender difference in countries with a larger representation of women in national parliament. Conclusion Justification of DV is widespread amongst women and men in LMICs with acceptance rates varying across countries and regions. Gender differences in the impact of contextual factors on DV acceptance supports a gendered approach to national-level interventions. Our findings highlight the need for tailored interventions targeting DV acceptance in conflict-impacted societies. The emphasis of inter(national) policies on the 'empowerment' domains of widely-used gender (in)equality indices need to be coupled with strategies tackling discriminatory gender norms.
- Subjects :
- Male
Domestic Violence
Epidemiology
Economics
Economics of Training and Education
Psychological intervention
Social Sciences
lcsh:Medicine
Criminology
Academic Skills
Public opinion
Literacy
Geographical Locations
0302 clinical medicine
Mathematical and Statistical Techniques
5. Gender equality
Sociology
Prevalence
Medicine and Health Sciences
Psychology
Public and Occupational Health
030212 general & internal medicine
10. No inequality
Empowerment
lcsh:Science
Asia, Southeastern
media_common
Human Capital
Multidisciplinary
Traumatic Injury Risk Factors
Statistics
1. No poverty
Middle Aged
16. Peace & justice
3. Good health
Europe
Scale (social sciences)
Physical Sciences
Women's Rights
Regression Analysis
Female
Crime
0305 other medical science
Research Article
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Asia
Adolescent
media_common.quotation_subject
Linear Regression Analysis
Victimisation
Research and Analysis Methods
03 medical and health sciences
Young Adult
Political science
medicine
Humans
Statistical Methods
Violent Crime
Africa South of the Sahara
030505 public health
business.industry
Public health
lcsh:R
Cognitive Psychology
Biology and Life Sciences
Health Surveys
Socioeconomic Factors
Public Opinion
Medical Risk Factors
Spouse Abuse
People and Places
Africa
Linear Models
Domestic violence
Cognitive Science
Demographic economics
lcsh:Q
business
Mathematics
Neuroscience
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....20e4f0b6ba267027554f95a5c49f00c3