Latitudinal psychology of intimate partner violence across 157 countries

Abstract

Despite its global prevalence, intimate partner violence is often framed narrowly as an individual or dyadic issue. This reflects a proximal bias that emphasizes immediate causes while overlooking the broader cultural, economic, and natural contexts in which the violence occurs. The present study adopts a socio-ecological perspective, examining how societal culture, national wealth, and the biotic and abiotic features of natural habitats relate to intimate partner violence against women in a supplementary manner. Using the most recent World Health Organization data, we analyzed the geographical patterns and contextual predictors of intimate partner violence across 157 countries. Our geographical analysis reveals a striking latitudinal gradient: physical and sexual violence against women by intimate partners is highest near the Equator, declines toward the poles, and varies minimally along the east-west axis. This gradient reflects a statistical pathway, beginning with natural fluctuations in daylength, temperature, and daily precipitation (habitat variability). Greater habitat variability predicts greater variability in pathogen prevalence and increased societal flexibility, reflected in greater structural flexibility, higher national wealth, weaker cultural collectivism, reduced male supremacy, and ultimately, lower rates of intimate partner violence. These results highlight the potential importance of cultural, economic, and natural factors for strategies to mitigate violence against women. To advance progress toward the United Nations goal of eliminating intimate partner violence by 2030, we illustrate our findings with nine contextual domains, organized across nested layers of context, that may inform efforts to foster safety in intimate partnerships worldwide.