INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: EXPLORING LINKS WITH MEN’S CHILDHOOD GENDER INEQUALITY AND VIOLENCE EXPERIENCES

Abstract

Intimate partner violence refers to any behavior within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in that relationship (WHO). Correlation between perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence and childhood violence experiences of abusers have been endorsed by theory of cycle of violence since long while feminist theorists presume that an entrenched patriarchal societal configuration and an inbuilt asymmetrical power distribution among men and women are the main culprits of transmission of intimate partner violence. At the same time socio- cultural theorists suggest that the traditions and norms which sanction violence and its tolerability aggravated by attitude of humanity towards gender inequity since childhood exacerbate the situation. This article attempts to give invigorate emphasis to the relevance and importance of understanding the version of intimate partner violence from the perpetrator’s perspectives to have an inclusive understanding of this violence and their violent deeds. In this study author seeks to find out the prevalence of men’s perpetration of different types of violence against their intimate female partners in four districts of Gujarat, India with a descriptive study in which a multistage random sampling method is used to select the samples. Also an attempt is done to explore the correlations between intimate partner violence and men’s early childhood gender inequality and violence experiences. Findings revealed statistically significant correlations between Intimate partner violence and men’s childhood gender inequality and violence experiences.