Factors Influencing Lifetime Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence Among Ever-Partnered Men in South Sudan

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence against women and girls (VAWG). Research has shown that gender inequitable attitudes, economic stressors, and armed conflict are among the many risk factors for IPV. Armed conflict can leave women and girls even more vulnerable to gender-based violence and create a context in which hegemonic masculinity may escalate different forms of VAWG. In South Sudan, a country that has been affected by continued armed conflicts, more than half of ever-partnered women and girls have reported experiencing physical or sexual IPV. This study reports on two population-based surveys targeting women and men in South Sudan. Logistic regression analyses were conducted using a sub-sample of ever-partnered men in South Sudan to examine the effect of several predictors on lifetime perpetration of IPV. Findings show a number of factors that were associated with increased odds of ever perpetrating IPV including perpetrating non-partner sexual violence, exposure to non-partner physical violence, and the number of controlling behaviors perpetrated against women partners. These findings suggest that perpetration of IPV is linked to gender inequality and exposure to and normalization of violence. Overall, this research contributes to our in-depth understanding of how experiences of armed conflict may contribute to perpetration of VAWG.

Men’s conceptualization of gender-based violence directed to women in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, South Africa

“…"Sometimes people do things outside of their relationship, so it ends up being violent because men sometimes do not know how to handle that type of a situation. Instead of walking away or maybe try sit and find out what is happening, they rather take it upon themselves and start being violent trying to fix the situation"-Amo, 31…”

“…The study further revealed men's stereotyped view that a woman cannot decline sexual intercourse with her husband, and that she should make it her obligation to prevent falling pregnant. Various authors are in agreement in that inequitable power distribution across genders render women vulnerable to violence by men, in the name of discipline or maintenance of order in their home [29][30][31].…”