P041. Faces of Love - Perception of Victims and Perpetrators Gender in Intimate Partner Violence

• In Event: Poster Session & Ice Cream Social

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) includes physical, psychological, and emotional abuse occurring between current or former partners in an intimate relationship. This phenomenon is widespread globally; according to the World Health Organization, IPV accounts for the majority of violence against women.
In this study, we aimed to verify stereotypical assumptions regarding the gender of victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence. In an online experiment conducted on Prolific with a representative U.S. sample (N = 450), we examined whether, in situations where the gender of the perpetrator and victim was not explicitly defined, individuals were more likely to attribute the perpetrator role to a man and the victim role to a woman. Additionally, we investigated whether providing information about the motive for violence (romantic vs. non-romantic vs. no information) influenced the gender attribution of the perpetrator and the victim.
Participants read a short article about violence between former partners, with gender left ambiguous. The articles described the violence as romantically or non-romantically motivated, or did not specify a motive. After reading, participants selected photographs representing the perpetrator (from six images: three men, three women) and the victim (from a different set of six). The order of selection was randomized.
The results indicate that female faces were more frequently identified as likely victims compared to male faces, while male faces were more often identified as likely perpetrators. In the romantic-motive condition, men were least likely to be perceived as victims (in comparison to the non-romantic and no-information conditions). These findings align with stereotypical gender narratives, which constitute one of the key factors in the legitimization of IPV.

Authors

• Natalia Zuzanna Michałkiewicz, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Faculty of Management and Social Communication

• Martyna Sekulak, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Faculty of Management and Social Communication

• Kaja Glomb, Jagiellonian University in Krakow

• Agata Augustyn, Faculty of Law and Administration, Jagiellonian University in Krakow

• Aleksandra Koszowska, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Faculty of Management and Social Communication