How gender norms are reinforced through violence against adolescent girls in two conflict-affected populations

Sommer, Marni; Muñoz‐Laboy, Miguel; Williams, Anaise; Mayevskaya, Yana; Falb, Kathryn; Abdella, Gizman; Stark, Lindsay

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.02.002

Cited by 34 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Collecting data on descriptive and injunctive norms surrounding violence, alongside data on experiences of violence, may be critical for the development of effective programming. Research on injunctive norms in other contexts has helped to illuminate how harmful norms exacerbate females’ experiences of violence [41]. In particular, data on injunctive norms can help shed light on instances where certain types of violence are especially elevated, normalized, and even accepted for a certain age group or sex.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex and age effects in past-year experiences of violence amongst adolescents in five countries

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose To date, there has been insufficient focus on age and sex differences in studies of violence amongst adolescents and young adults in low- and middle-income countries. As adolescence is a formative period during which experiencing violence can have both short- and long-term consequences, we aim to investigate experiences of violence by age and sex across five countries. Methods Incidences of past-year violence victimization were estimated by sex across two-year age bands (13–24 years) using Violence Against Children Survey datasets from Cambodia, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania. Analyses were conducted separately for each country. The presence of an association with age and each type of violence was identified using logistic regressions separately by sex. Sex was then added to the models as an interaction term and adjusted Wald tests were used to assess differences between males and females in age effects. Results Risk of physical violence by both an adult caregiver and a community member decreased with age for both sexes in all countries. In contrast, risk of IPV increased with age for both sexes in all countries. Although some countries displayed a steeper increase in risk of IPV and sexual violence with age for males, females face higher overall levels of risk for these forms of violence. Conclusion Findings highlight how adolescents’ and young adults’ risk of violence changes with age and type of violence. The analysis underscores the importance of collecting violence data disaggregated by age and sex to best inform policies and programming. Implications and contributions We analyzed five Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) and found age effects for physical, sexual, and intimate partner violence for adolescents 13–24 years old. Age effects for sexual violence are stronger among females than males. Future policies targeting adolescents should consider how age and gender influence risk of violence.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex and age effects in past-year experiences of violence amongst adolescents in five countries

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Similarly, displacement also caused older family members to impose limited mobility on adolescent girls and young women in an attempt to keep them safe at home, but in so doing, they could become economically vulnerable, disempowered, and more susceptible to different forms of violence, including physical violence from family members [25]. Other studies in refugee contexts have also noted how protection measures that are put in place to protect young girls and women from violence in an unfamiliar setting can ultimately serve to reinforce moralised social norms around “good” adolescent girl behavior that are restrictive in nature, and which can undermine gender equality [26].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Altered social trajectories and risks of violence among young Syrian women seeking refuge in Turkey: a qualitative study

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThere is limited evidence regarding the ways in which displacement disrupts social norms, expectations and trajectories for adolescent girls and young women and the resulting impacts on their risks of violence. This knowledge gap is especially marked with regards to Syrian adolescent girls and young women seeking refuge in Turkey. We explored risks of gender-based violence against Syrian adolescent girls and young women in Turkey and examined how these risks were shaped by their displacement.MethodsData were collected in August 2016 in Izmir, Turkey through five sex-specific focus group discussions with Syrian adolescents and young people (aged 15–25 years) and two mixed gender focus group discussions with Syrian adults (18 years and older). Group discussions covered the issues facing Syrian adolescents and young women in Turkey, and how these were influenced by their displacement. Discussions in Arabic were audio-recorded, transcribed and translated into English. Data were coded inductively, and analysed thematically.ResultsSyrian adolescent girls and young women expressed an increased sense of vulnerability to violence since their displacement. Due to financial strains and limited educational opportunities, they were often encouraged by parents to work or marry, both of which they perceived to increase the risks of violence. In contrast, some adults suggested that marriage could protect adolescent girls and young women from risks of violence associated with working. Being alone outside the home was viewed as risky by all participants due to pervasive sexual, verbal and physical harassment, aggression, and even kidnapping attempts. To limit these risks, many parents reported keeping adolescent girls and young women at home, or ensuring that they were accompanied by male relatives when in public.ConclusionsSyrian adolescent girls and young women face multiple risks of violence following displacement related to altered social trajectories. Some family-based strategies to protect young women from violence could reinforce restrictive gender norms and increase risks of violence. Interventions to address violence should include providing safe spaces, access to education and safe transport for young women, and financial support for families as well as community-based interventions to address the daily risks of sexual harassment in public spaces.

show abstract

“…In addition, many programs that aim to reduce GBV against girls fail to explore community norms around socially acceptable forms of, or responses to, GBV. Despite stated community disapproval of sexual violence and rape, gender inequitable norms may create space for these incidents to occur without lasting consequences for the perpetrators (Sommer et al, 2018). A qualitative study in Namibia, for example, found that young female survivors of rape were often equally blamed by the community for the incident, despite the community's ostensible disapproval of sexual violence (Jewkes et al, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forced Sex and Early Marriage: Understanding the Linkages and Norms in a Humanitarian Setting

Seff

Williams

Hussain

et al. 2019

Violence Against Women

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This mixed-methods study uses baseline data from a program evaluation in the Democratic Republic of Congo to examine two outcomes of interest: self-reported exposure to forced sex and belief that a girl’s community would force her to marry her hypothetical rapist, for married and unmarried 13- to 14-year-old girls ( n = 377). Married girls are more likely to report both outcomes. Qualitative in-depth interviews with girl participants ( n = 30) and their caregivers ( n = 31) were analyzed for themes related to forced sex and marriage, revealing the normalcy of girls marrying perpetrators and suggesting that some married girls in this setting may have been forced to marry their rapist.

show abstract

How gender norms are reinforced through violence against adolescent girls in two conflict-affected populations

Cited by 34 publications

References 26 publications

Sex and age effects in past-year experiences of violence amongst adolescents in five countries

Sex and age effects in past-year experiences of violence amongst adolescents in five countries

Altered social trajectories and risks of violence among young Syrian women seeking refuge in Turkey: a qualitative study

Forced Sex and Early Marriage: Understanding the Linkages and Norms in a Humanitarian Setting

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About