The Nordic Paradox and intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden: A background overview

Abstract

The global public health problem of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is typically tied to gender inequality. Contrary to what would be expected, however, a 2012 survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) showed lifetime prevalence rates of IPVAW in the Nordic countries which were among the highest of the 28 EU member states, despite these countries being rated as some of the most gender‐equal in the world. The aim of this article is to enable a furthered understanding of this Nordic Paradox through providing an overview of knowledge about IPVAW in Sweden in relation to the apparent paradox. It assembles information on IPVAW prevalence, on Sweden's legal and policy framework, on perceived remaining challenges and limitations in responses to IPVAW, and on potential explanations for the Nordic Paradox as expressed in previous research. We conclude that a clear resolution to the Nordic Paradox has not yet been established. Further research is therefore needed.

Stories of Backlash in Interviews With Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Sweden

“…The notion of surface-level gender equality, noted above, has also been related to IPVAW support often being insufficient in practice (Wemrell et al, 2021). Such a gap between laws or policies and their implementation in Sweden have been pointed out repeatedly (GREVIO, 2019;Kvinnolobby, 2021;Wemrell et al, 2020).…”

“…Factors suggested or discussed as potentially explaining this apparent Nordic Paradox ( Gracia & Merlo, 2016 ) include various forms of reporting or measurement biases ( Gracia & Merlo, 2016 ; Humbert et al., 2021 ; Martín-Fernández et al, 2020 ; Permanyer & Gomez-Casillas, 2020 ; Wemrell et al, 2021 ). Other suggested explanations are features of Nordic societies such as alcohol consumption patterns ( Gracia & Merlo, 2016 ) or individualism ( Wemrell et al., 2021 ), disproportionally high IPVAW rates in some societal groups ( Gracia & Merlo, 2016 ), and unanticipated consequences of relative gender equality including backlash effects ( Gracia & Merlo, 2016 ; Wemrell et al, 2020 ; Wemrell et al, 2021 ).…”

Intimate Partner Violence against Women in the EU: A Multilevel Analysis of the Contextual and Individual Impact on Public Perceptions

“…One possible explanation of the inconsistency between perception and action, or between theory and practice (SOU, 2004, p. 121), in the high GEI countries could be that respondents here feel a stronger obligation to answer in a certain way, to avoid stigmatization associated with downplaying the severity of IPVAW. Wemrell et al (2020) investigate the discrepancy between gender equality and the relatively high prevalence of IPVAW in the specific context of Sweden. One of their suggestions for this discrepancy is that the image of Sweden as a gender-equal country may in itself have hindered an appropriate response to IPVAW, therefore allowing its continuation.…”

“…One explanation discussed in the literature is that of issues related to reporting (Gracia & Merlo, 2016). Another frequent explanation, often discussed in rape research, is that increased gender equality or demands for gender equality can result in a backlash against women, and thus in increased rates of violence against women (Whaley, 2001;Wemrell et al, 2020). This so-called backlash hypothesis has proven to be useful when analyzing changes in IPVAW rates over time in certain contexts (Xie et al, 2012).…”

Professionals’ Views on the Comparatively Low Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Spain

“…Another hypothesis, the “violent partners’ rotation,” suggests that in Nordic countries there are higher levels of union formation and dissolution of couples and, therefore, a greater rotation of violent partners that would increase the number of women victims (Permanyer & Gomez-Casillas, 2020). Another set of studies has examined the “backlash hypothesis,” according to which the increased status of women in society can increase men’s violence against women, as they lose their traditional dominant position and privileges (Gracia & Merlo, 2016; Kosakowska-Berezecka et al, 2020; Latzman et al, 2019; Roberts, 2011; Wemrell et al, 2020; Whaley & Messner, 2002; Xie et al, 2012). For example, Kosakowska-Berezecka et al (2020), in a cross-cultural study in 42 countries, provides evidence that in countries with greater advances in women’s status and power, men are less willing to act collectively on behalf of gender equality, as women’s country-level gains pose a threat to men’s status.…”