Men who reject gender equality are more likely to commit intimate partner violence

A new study published in PLOS ONE has found that Californian men who hold more traditional, less gender-equal beliefs are significantly more likely to report committing intimate partner violence.

Intimate partner violence is a serious public health issue, affecting millions of people worldwide. In the United States, more than two in five women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner at some point in their lives.

Previous research has identified factors that increase the risk of intimate partner violence perpetration, such as substance abuse, childhood exposure to violence, and mental health issues. However, fewer studies have examined whether a man’s attitudes toward gender equality might influence his likelihood of committing intimate partner violence.

Led by Kalysha Closson from the University of California, the research team analyzed responses from the California Violence Experiences Survey (CalVEX), an annual online survey that gathers data on violence, discrimination, and related issues. The study included 3,609 men, with an average age of 48, who participated between 2021 and 2023.

To measure gender equality beliefs, researchers used questions adapted from the World Values Survey. These asked respondents whether they agreed with statements such as “Men make better political leaders than women” and “A university education is more important for men than for women.” Higher scores on this scale indicated less gender-equitable beliefs.

To assess intimate partner violence perpetration, participants were asked whether they had committed acts of physical or sexual violence in the past year and, if so, whether the victim was a spouse or romantic partner.

The findings were alarming. Approximately 1 in every 50 adult men – equivalent to over 280,000 individuals in California – reported committing intimate partner violence in the past year.

Men with more traditional, gender-inequitable beliefs were more than twice as likely to report intimate partner violence perpetration. Among men who reported intimate partner violence, more than 60% agreed with gender-inequitable statements.

Even after accounting for other factors such as substance use, mental health, neighborhood safety, and gun ownership, the link between gender beliefs and intimate partner violence remained strong.

Men who owned guns were significantly more likely to report intimate partner violence perpetration, aligning with research showing that firearm access increases the risk of domestic violence fatalities.

Furthermore, men who reported perpetrating intimate partner violence were also more likely to have mental health difficulties and admit to illicit substance use.

The authors concluded that the results “support prior research indicating that patriarchal beliefs reinforce men’s violence against women in relationships and signal a need for violence prevention efforts focused on boys and men that can include normative belief shifts related to women’s capacities.”

The study has some limitations. Because it relies on self-reported data, some men may have underreported their intimate partner violence perpetration due to social stigma. Additionally, the study focused only on physical and sexual violence, excluding other forms of intimate partner violence like emotional or financial abuse.

The study, “Are men’s gender equality beliefs associated with self-reported intimate partner violence perpetration? A state-level analysis of California men,” was authored by Kalysha Closson, Nicole E. Johns, and Anita Raj.