Adherence to inequitable gender norms and intimate partner violence among Brazilian youth

Growing evidence indicates that adherence to inequitable gender norms is a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV). Violence against women is the ultimate expression of gender inequality and may be considered normative, acceptable and justified, indicating the need for interventions that take into account the perspectives of men and address the context of women's lives. Using survey data collected from 247 male and 205 female youth (ages 15-24) from a low-income community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this study explores dimensions of gender norms, including attitudes toward sexuality, reproductive health, violence against women, household decision-making and gender role expectations, and their association with IPV in the past six months. 32% of females report being victims of IPV, while 17% of males report perpetrating IPV in the past six months. Males are significantly more likely to support inequitable norms around sexuality, violence, household decision-making and gender role expectations than females. Bivariate results indicate that for each dimension of gender, women who adhere to inequitable norms report significantly higher levels of IPV victimization. For males, those who support inequitable norms around sexuality and violence report significantly higher levels of IPV perpetration. For multivariate analyses, a latent variable will be constructed for each dimension of inequitable gender norms using structural equation modeling. The effect of each dimension of inequitable gender norms on the likelihood of IPV victimization and perpetration will be estimated using weighted least squares regression models. Results indicate that targeted interventions are needed to change dimensions of gender norms associated with IPV in urban Brazil.