Strengthening the US National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence: Making Perpetrators Visible

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Gender Studies

Background:

• The 2023 US National Action Plan (NAP) on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) marks a significant advancement by emphasizing civil and human rights.
• However, the plan's effectiveness is potentially limited by its failure to explicitly acknowledge the empirical evidence identifying men and boys as primary perpetrators of GBV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the US National Action Plan (NAP) on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in light of empirical data on perpetration.
• To propose revisions that integrate a focus on patriarchal masculinities and align with international human rights frameworks for GBV prevention.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing US data on GBV victimization and perpetration.
• Comparative review of the NAP's strategies against international human rights standards for addressing GBV.
• Theoretical examination of the role of patriarchal masculinities in GBV perpetration.

Main Results:

• The NAP's prevention strategies are potentially undermined by omitting the central role of male perpetrators.
• There is a significant gap between the NAP's stated goals and the empirical evidence regarding GBV perpetration.
• Opportunities to address root causes through challenging patriarchal masculinities are missed.

Conclusions:

• To effectively combat GBV, the US NAP must explicitly incorporate findings on male perpetration and critically examine patriarchal masculinities.
• Aligning the NAP with international human rights principles necessitates a more robust engagement with the empirical realities of GBV.
• Strengthening GBV prevention requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the social and cultural factors contributing to perpetration.