NCJ Number
223763
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 19 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 655-675
Date Published
June 2004
Length
21 pages
Annotation
A cross-national test is presented of the feminist theory of violence against women.
Abstract
Empirical test results indicate substantial support for the feminist theory of violence against women. The first main finding was that a structure of gender inequality is associated with a culture of violence against women. The educational and occupational status of women in a country is correlated with the prevalence of sexual violence in a country, with a high status of women corresponding with lower rates of sexual violence. The second main finding was that sexual violence is associated with a culture of women’s fear. The overall prevalence of sexual violence in a country is related to women’s fear relative to men’s. The results show that social structural characteristics, particularly women’s access to and position in social institutions, are related to rates of sexual violence and that rates of sexual violence, in turn, are related to women’s fear. The study further confirms and validates feminist theory’s prominent position in the study and work against violence against women. According to feminist theory, violence against women results from gender inequality on the societal level. The more unequal women are compared to men in a society, the more likely men are to be violent toward women. This study empirically tests the feminist theory of violence against women by studying the relationship between structural gender inequality, experiences of sexual and physical violence against women, and levels of fear among women in European and North American countries. Two research questions were addressed. First, is there less violence against women in countries where the status of women is high and more violence when the status of women is low? Second, are women less fearful in countries where rates of violence are low? Tables, appendix and references