Configuration, Not Content: A Network Analysis of Gendered Prototypes of Intimate Partner Violence.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Criminology

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) research traditionally focuses on heterosexual dynamics.
• Limited research on same-sex couples and female perpetrators yields inconsistent findings.
• A clearer theoretical framework for IPV perceptions is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the structure of perceived intimate partner violence (IPV) prototypes across different victim-perpetrator gender combinations.
• To investigate how societal gender stereotypes influence the understanding of IPV.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach with a U.S. and U.K. sample (N=161).
• Participants provided open-ended descriptions of four IPV scenarios (male-on-female, male-on-male, female-on-male, female-on-female).
• Thematic coding and network analysis were used to model IPV prototypes and feature connections.

Main Results:

• Prototypes of intimate partner violence (IPV) showed significant structural similarities across all gender combinations.
• Distinct differences emerged in how specific features were linked within different gendered IPV scenarios.
• Gendered assumptions about IPV are evident in the combination of shared features, not entirely distinct narratives.

Conclusions:

• Perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV) are shaped by underlying gendered assumptions, even when scenarios share common structural elements.
• Understanding IPV requires examining how gender stereotypes influence the interpretation and connection of abuse-related features.
• Future research should explore the nuanced ways gender influences the perception and reporting of intimate partner violence (IPV).