Violence within a Couple. Evidences from Surveys of Central American Men

This article deals with the violence (including control behavior) which occurs between the members of a couple. The article is based on a survey to men of 15-44 years of age, residents of low income neighborhoods of the main cities of each of six countries in Central America. The results show low percentages of men justifying violence against women "in general," but higher percentages when they are faced with concrete situations; these higher percentages are more in accordance with the violence actually exercised as declared by the men. In at least one third of all couples one of the members has exercised violence against the other, at least once. It is possible to identify cities in which violent attitudes & behavior are more frequent. Men declare themselves as being more often victims than perpetrators of violence, suggesting the need for qualitative exploration & for more subtle measurement instruments. Tables, References. Adapted from the source document.