Impulsivity and gender-based violence in intimate partner relationships: insights from Latin America (Ecuador and Argentina)

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) has been recognized as a complex public healthproblem and a human rights violation (World Health Organization, 2021). Itinvolves the systematic use and abuse of power and control against women, regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, social status, migratory status, sexual orientation,or education level (Phillimore et al., 2022; Zain, 2012). GBV takes many forms:physical, psychological, verbal, and sexual (Sardinha et al., 2022). These differentforms tend to occur together. Consequences on women’s physical and mental healthinclude depression, suicidal thoughts, posttraumatic stress disorder, injuries, chronicpain, gastrointestinal and gynecological problems (Kafka et al., 2022; Opanasenkoet al., 2021; Reid et al., 2021; Rivara et al., 2019). It has been reported that thisviolence can occur in different contexts, such as: work, streets, schools, family, andintimate partner relationships (IPR) (Gilbert et al., 2021; Sardinha et al., 2022;Zain, 2012). Yet, the World Health Organization (2021) highlights that GBV isreally prevalent in IPR. The mechanisms underlying GBV are complex, and theyinvolve multiple factors (Buller et al., 2022; Mannell et al., 2022; Schafer et al.,2004). Feminist approaches argue that GBV is a consequence of patriarchy, asystem of social structures and practices that reproduces gender stereotypes andprejudices (Adiningsih et al., 2020; Bucheli & Rossi, 2019; Tsapalas et al., 2021).However, prior research suggests that psychological characteristics of perpetratorsof intimate partner violence (IPV), such as high impulsivity, also represent animportant risk factor (Leone et al., 2016; Lishak et al., 2019; Romero-Martı´nezet al., 2018, 2021).