Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies - Volume 24, Issue 2, 2021

Background: Economic abuse (EA) is a type of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) that is understudied and not always recognised as a distinct form of IPVA. EA receives relatively little attention but occurs frequently and prevents people from leaving a violent relationship. Therefore, we investigate EA amongst our study populations of women who experience(d) IPVA, in order to contribute to this new field of research.

Methods: A mixed methods approach involving quantitative (N=210) and qualitative (N=12) data is used to investigate the prevalence and appearances of EA and links with other forms of IPVA, educational level, income level, etc.

Results: 42.9% reported EA and the outcomes showed significant relationships between EA, psychological abuse, income level, and contribution to household income. Participants discussed various forms of EA and its impact on their economic independence and well-being.

Discussion: EA is probably even more prevalent than we found in this study and more research is needed to gain insight on the prevalence, forms, and impact of EA as a silent but distinct form of IPVA. EA must be taken into account when working with IPVA survivors in order to support them in building their (economic) indepence.

In the Netherlands, the assumed causal relationship between employment, economic independence, and individual freedom of choice has been extended to the approach of intimate partner violence (IPV). In the interests of combating IPV, it is crucial to further investigate this relationship. Based on a literature review, this article shows that the relationship between economic independence and IPV is highly complex. To unravel this complex relationship, a socio-ecological analysis framework has been applied. First, it is a layered relation, in which employment does not necessarily lead to economic independence, which can be explained by social inequalities. Secondly, the relation is bidirectional in that women do not by definition have access to their own financial recourses due to tactics of financial control by the intimate partner. This reveals the coexistence of IPV and economic abuse, and the extent to which an intimate relationship effects the scope for individual choice. Thirdly, there is a paradoxical relationship in that employment is both a protective and a risk factor for IPV. This, in turn, cannot be separated from traditional norms about masculinity and femininity, where men occupy a position of power and derive status from being the breadwinner. These findings imply that not only the approach to IPV but also labour market policy requires a gender-sensitive approach.

Subject: In the 1970s, domestic violence was put on the political agenda as a societal problem. Since then, research exploring the dynamics of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has multiplied, but the study of sexual violence between partners is still topical. This article examines female victims’ experiences of intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV). Method: This qualitative study uses a thematic approach to explore how IPV victims perceive sexual violence within their couple. Semi-structured interviews, which include the use of qualitative life calendars, were conducted with 20 women. Results: The thematic analysis of the 20 interviews highlighted several themes and sub-themes that address (1) sexual violence experienced by victims within the couple, (2) their perception of sexual violence, and (3) the reasons why they submitted to unwanted sex in an abusive relationship. Conclusion: Experiences of sexual violence are the result of different dynamics; however, IPSV is a form of violence that is still difficult to identify and is more often defined by victims as an impulse or aggression than a rape. Within the couple, the impact of violence, but also the influence of gender stereotypes, affect the perception of violence, assertiveness capacities, and, therefore, the ability to express free consent. Victims submitt to their partner because they are afraid of him; they want to protect themselves or their children; or they do not have the capacity to express their non-consent.

Background: To contain the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide restricted social and physical contact by issuing lockdown and social-distancing measures. Yet, lockdown measures may induce mental health problems and increase the occurrence of domestic violence (DV). We examine mental health and DV in lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, and asexual (LGB+) persons under lockdown. Methods: An online self-report questionnaire on relationships, stress, and aggression was administered to a non-probabilistic sample of participants living in Belgium. Participants were sampled through national media, social media, and snowballing procedures. Occurrence of DV including psychological, physical, and sexual violence, stress, alcohol and drug use, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, self-harming behaviour, and help-seeking behaviour in LGB+ persons during the first four to six weeks of the hygiene and lockdown measures in Belgium were assessed. Results: 383 LGB+ participants were included in the analysis. In addition to high levels of stress, alcohol and drug abuse, suicidal ideation, and self-harming behaviour, a third of LGB+ participants reported at least one incident of DV under lockdown. Conclusion: LGB+ persons have been exposed to DV and experienced lower mental health and well-being during the lockdown related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight the possible need for public health measures and sociocultural changes preventing DV and improving mental health during lockdown in LGB+ persons.

Marriage migrant women are vulnerable to forms of partner violence, particularly in the first five years after migration to the Netherlands because of their dependence on their partner for residence rights. This article, based on qualitative research amongst Moroccan marriage migrant women in the Netherlands and women who have been left behind in Morocco, examines their position and analyses how legal regulations and residence dependency on the one hand, and the integration process on the other hand, play a role in cases of intimate partner violence. This qualitative research cannot offer figures about intimate partner violence and is not representative for couples with migrant origin in general, nor for migrants from Moroccan origin. The aim is to examine the relation between dependence residence rights and intimate partner violence.

This paper offers new insights on the practical consequences of a gender-neutral framing of Intimate Partner Violence in a specific institutional context, showing how it results in differentiated recognition of victims of IPV. Through an ethnographic case study conducted in a medicolegal centre in French-speaking Switzerland, I show how the focus has shifted from a problem defined as a form of violence against women to a gender-neutral representation of a familial problem of ‘domestic violence’ in which neither perpetrators nor victims are named. This outcome is linked to political decision-making at the cantonal level that privileges a gender-neutral reading of IPV, which is no longer conceived in terms of male violence perpetrated against women. The paper foregrounds the specific ways in which the support provided to victims of IPV by a public health institution have been impacted by and contributed to this changing agenda. Its findings show that, by certifying physical forms of violence, while excluding psychological violence, medicolegal expert knowledge ultimately legitimises some victims while excluding others from receiving its support.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a major societal problem with significant healthcare implications. The consequences of this kind of violence result in victims (and perpetrators) regularly needing healthcare. Various structural barriers can prevent victims from accessing services or result in inadequate responses to their needs. International research shows that general practitioners can play an important role in tackling IPV but that they also are confronted with various difficulties themselves. Drawing on seventeen in-depth interviews with general practitioners in Flanders, we discuss in this article the experiences of GPs who come across IPV in their health care practice. We use an intersectional approach to better understand the difficulties GPs face by looking at the complexity underlying these cases and by exploring GPs’ understanding of vulnerabilities of marginalised groups. A thematic data analysis was applied. Using a number of case studies, we found that GPs are confronted with various structural barriers that complicate the care of patients who are victims of IPV. This gives rise to alternative care strategies, which are based on a sentiment of ‘involved incertitude’.

An intersectional and reflexive approach is vital in researching violence against women (VAW). It offers insights into researcher–participant relations, the research design and process, and the collection and analysis of data. Furthermore, it illuminates potential blind spots due to, for example, socialisation, values, or beliefs. Particularly in VAW, such insights are needed to inspire social change and social action. In this essay, we use an intersectional framework for our reflexive interrogation of our research on intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy. We highlight potential aspects of re-enforcing or reproducing characteristics of IPV in research projects and via power relations in research collaboration and emphasise the need for explicit reflexivity in VAW research to do this.