Emerging partner violence among young adolescents in a low-income country: Perpetration, victimization and adversity

Abstract

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent in high-as well as low-income contexts. It results in a substantial public health burden and significant negative socioeconomic and health outcomes throughout the life-course. However, limited knowledge exists about IPV during early adolescence. This period is critical during the transition to adulthood for at least two reasons: it is when the majority of adolescents in low-income countries first encounter dating, sexuality and partnerships, often with older adolescents or adults, and it is also the period when lifelong patterns of violence and norms about acceptable IPV are formed. The current study is one of the first to measure IPV prevalence among young adolescents in a low-income setting, examine the potential etiology, and investigate relationships with gender ideology, poverty, mental health and childhood adversity. Methods We surveyed 2,089 adolescents aged 10-16 in Malawi using standardized instruments. We estimated the prevalence of IPV, and use multivariate logistic regression to test potential correlates. Results More than a quarter (27%) of ever-partnered adolescents in Malawi report being victimized. A substantial proportion of both male and female adolescents (15%) report committing violence against their partner. Girls were more likely than boys to report being a victim of sexual IPV (24% versus 8%), and boys more likely to perpetrate such (9% versus 1%). Almost 10% of the sample had both committed and been a victim of IPV. Cumulative childhood adversity (e.g., physical abuse, witnessing domestic violence) was a consistent and strong correlate of IPV victimization (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.30) and of perpetration (aOR 1.35). Depression and PTSD were likewise associated with IPV victimization in the overall sample.

Relationships of Adolescent and Young Couples with Violent Behaviors: Conflict Resolution Strategies

“…With regard to more serious behaviors like sexual and physical violence, women use physical attacks, while men use sexual behaviors, although it should be underlined that these are not so prevalent, but they are present. These data coincide with studies by other authors who report in their investigations that women use physical violence to a greater extent and men are more prone to using sexual violence [ 4 , 14 , 18 , 31 , 59 ].…”

Adolescent Conflict and Young Adult Couple Relationships: Directionality of Violence

“…Women exercise more psychological and physical violence (and also experience it). Consequently, men present higher levels of physical victimization and exercise more sexual violence (Cortés-Ayala et al, 2015;García-Carpintero et al, 2018;Kidman & Kohler, 2020;Pazos et al, 2014;Rodríguez, 2015;Rubio-Garay et al, 2017). In addition, we have observed that, in the absence of physical victimization, psychological victimization occurs, mainly related to alienation, especially in women.…”

“…According to the last results of the Spanish National Statistics Institute (National Statistics Institute, 2019), the number of young people reported for gender violence, compared with the previous year, increased by 14.1% at ages 18 to 19 and by 11.9% at ages 25 to 29. Therefore, studies are focusing on the youngest couples because, in this stage, risky behaviors prevail (Borrás et al, 2017) and, in consequence, violent dynamics increase and start to be considered acceptable (Kidman & Kohler, 2020). Dating violence develops differently than adult intimate partner violence.…”

Attitudinal Acceptance of Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health Outcomes for Female Survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Although perpetration of GBV transcends socioeconomic, educational, religious, and cultural lines, its prevalence is especially pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa, where accounts of intimate partner violence (IPV) amongst ever-married/partnered women aged 15–49 years old, for instance, supersede worldwide averages by 22% [ 3 , 4 ]. Moreover, while low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) carry a greater burden of GBV, research on human rights violations in these settings, especially for adolescent girls, disproportionately lags behind efforts in high-income countries [ 3 , 5 ].…”

“…Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to GBV, their age and social status amplifying power imbalances and further limiting their autonomy [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]. The physical and mental toll of GBV greatly impacts survivors’ behaviors and lifetime health risks.…”