Can men's violence reporting behavior be improved? Evidence from a couples-based cluster randomized controlled trial...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Sciences
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) measurement is hindered by underreporting, particularly by men, due to societal acceptance and lack of awareness of harmful behaviors.
• Understanding the reasons for men's non-disclosure of IPV perpetration is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an intervention designed to enhance men's comprehension of IPV and its impact.
• To assess the intervention's effect on men's accurate reporting of IPV, measured by concordance with female partners' reports.

Main Methods:

• A cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 450 couples in Tanzania across three arms: peer group discussions on gender/IPV, peer groups plus community dialogues, and a control group.
• Data collection from both partners on IPV, with a primary outcome of couples' concordant reporting of IPV occurrence.

Main Results:

• Concordant reporting increased significantly for physical, sexual, and economic IPV in Intervention Arm 1, and for physical and sexual IPV in Intervention Arm 2.
• Men in Intervention Arm 1 showed improved agreement with their female partners' IPV reports.
• No significant improvement was observed in the concordant reporting of emotional IPV across study arms.

Conclusions:

• Men's failure to report IPV may stem from a lack of recognition of their behaviors as abusive, especially in accepting societies.
• Defining IPV within survey instruments can enhance men's reporting accuracy and improve IPV measurement.