Gender-norms, violence and adolescence: Exploring how gender norms are associated with experiences of childhood violence among young adolescents in Ethiopia

Abstract

Adolescence is a time of particular risk for violence perpetrated by parents, teachers, peers and intimate partners. Social norms that condone violent discipline, promote masculinities focused on violence, and support gender inequality play an important role in perpetuating violence. However, little is known about the relationship between inequitable gender norms and children's experiences of violence from parents or other adults in the household. Utilising data from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) study, this paper explores how adolescent and household attitudes and community-level gender norms influence experiences of violence among young adolescents (aged 10-12) in Ethiopia. Our results show that community norms, rather than adolescent and household attitudes, are significantly associated with experiences of household violence. This result holds for boys and girls, and in rural areas. In urban areas, however, adolescent attitudes were more influential than community norms, perhaps indicating less cohesive communities. Overall, these findings suggest that violence prevention programming should prioritise shifting community norms, particularly in rural areas, in order to promote adolescent girls' and boys' right to bodily integrity.

Cross-sectional survey of underreported violence experienced by adolescents: a study from Indonesia

“…In addition, the share of respondents who experienced physical violence in municipalities was higher than that in cities. This is in line with research in Ethiopia, but different from studies in other sub-Saharan countries and in Poland, which demonstrated a greater likelihood of urban adolescents engaging in violence than those in rural areas [ 41 – 43 ]. The suggestion from a previous study [ 13 ] that the prevalence of physical violence declines with age among adolescents is also supported by our results; we found that respondents in middle school (45.3%) experienced more physical violence than those in high school (32.9%).…”

“…This outcome is different from a previous study that signalled a higher prevalence of physical violence among males, which suggests a greater social tolerance for physical violence among men [ 43 ]. We do not think this finding alone can prove that the cities and municipalities in this study have gender inequitable societies, since this would require further investigation [ 41 ].…”

“…We cannot ignore the prevalence of the threat ‘to be hurt or killed’ by male adults; female adults did not dominate the two forms of verbal violence studied. This tends to be seen as the influence of paternalistic culture, with unequal power dynamics between father/male adult figures who play a dominant role in instilling discipline in children, while the mother/female adult figure tends to provide a safe environment [ 37 , 41 ]. Female adults and adolescents tend to scare victims by warning them of violence from others, while male adults and adolescents tend to make direct physical threats.…”

Special Symposium: Social and gender norms and violence against children: exploring their role and strategies for prevention

“…In 'Gender-norms, violence and adolescence: Exploring how gender norms are associated with experiences of childhood violence among young adolescents in Ethiopia', Murphy et al (2020) contributed to a growing evidence base that community-level social norms can hold stronger influence over household violence against children than individual or caregiver attitudes. The study aggregated quantitative estimates of household gender norms to construct measures of community-level norms, which were strongly associated with young adolescent exposure to household physical or psychological violence.…”

“…The results highlight reductions in violence in older adolescence, possibly due to gendered shifts in social expectations for caregiver behaviours toward an adolescent girl versus boy after puberty. Other explanations include how exposure to harsh physical punishment and psychological treatment pushes some adolescent girls and boys out of the caregiver household, 'by running away, distress migration or suicide attempts' (Murphy M, 2020). Programme implications highlight the need to work at the community level to shift gender norms toward protective and preventative behavioural expectations and positive, non-violent disciplinary practices of caregivers and other adults in the household.…”