How severity of intimate partner violence is perceived and related to attitudinal variables? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a global public health problem where multiple factors, such as the perceptions and attitudes toward IPVAW, should be considered to properly address this issue. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized the information available about perceived severity of IPVAW by different actors (e.g., victims, perpetrators, students, and professionals), analyzed the relationship between attitudes toward IPVAW and perceived severity of IPVAW, and examined gender differences in perceived severity of IPVAW. A systematic search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines using Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases. Studies were included if they (a) provide information about perceived severity of IPVAW (physical, psychological, or sexual violence); (b) the relationship between perception of severity of IPVAW and attitudes toward IPVAW was analyzed empirically; (c) the languages of publication were English or Spanish; and (d) they were not theoretical studies or reviews. To this end, two independent researchers selected studies, resolving discrepancies with a third researcher. A total of 27 studies were included in systematic review and 12 in the meta-analysis. The results showed that men perceived IPVAW as less severe than women. Likewise, a negative relationship was found between perceived IPVAW severity and favorable attitudes toward IPVAW, such as sexist views, victim blaming, excusing the perpetrator, rape myth acceptance, and traditional gender roles adherence. The Classic Fail-Safe n was calculated to ensure the finding was robust against potential publication bias. These findings highlight some of the potential factors to focus on IPVAW prevention programs. However, the number of studies included were limited, requiring more research to generalize the results.