Natalia Linos

Attitudes of Men and Women Towards Wife Beating: Findings From Palestinian Refugee Camps in Jordan

The aim of this study is to investigate the factors associated with the acceptance of wife beating among currently married men and women living in disadvantaged Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan. The study uses data from a cross-sectional survey of 3,100 households from 12 refugee camps, conducted in 1999, with a sub-sample of 395 married women and men selected for this analysis. Associations between acceptance of wife beating and experience of abuse as well as other risk factors are assessed for men and women separately, using χ2 tests and odds ratios from binary logistic regression models. The majority of men (60.1%) and women (61.8%) believe that wife beating is justified in at least one of the eight hypothetical marital situations presented to them. Among women, those that had been victims of intimate partner violence are significantly more likely to report acceptance of wife beating. Among men, acceptance of wife beating is also significantly associated with their current age, labor force participation, their view on women’s autonomy, and their own history as perpetrators of IPV. The majority of respondents justify wife beating in this context, with essentially no difference between men and women. Acceptance of wife beating by both men and women was strongly associated with previous experiences of wife beating adjusting for other risk factors.

Influence of community social norms on spousal violence: a population-based multilevel study of Nigerian women

OBJECTIVES We examined whether social norms toward spousal violence in Nigeria, at the state level, are associated with a womans exposure to physical and sexual violence perpetrated by her husband. METHODS Using data from the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey, we fit four 3-level random intercepts models to examine contextual factors associated with spousal violence while accounting for individual-level predictors. RESULTS Of the 18,798 ever-married Nigerian women in our sample, 18.7% reported exposure to spousal sexual or physical violence. The prevalence was geographically patterned by state and ranged from 3% to 50%. Permissive state-level social norms toward spousal violence were positively associated with a womans report of physical and sexual violence perpetrated by her husband (odds ratio [OR] = 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17, 2.77), after adjusting for individual-level characteristics. A number of individual-level variables were significantly associated with victimization, including a womans accepting beliefs toward spousal violence (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.09, 1.14). Women living in states with Sharia law were less likely to report spousal violence (OR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.35, 0.95). CONCLUSIONS Efforts to end violence against women, particularly spousal violence, should consider broader social and contextual determinants of violence including social norms.

Women's Autonomy and Support for Wife Beating: Findings from a Population-Based Survey in Jordan

The aim of this study is to examine attitudes among married women toward wife beating and to investigate the hypothesis that female individual empowerment is associated with such attitudes within a broader context of societal patriarchy in Jordan. The study uses data from a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of married women (n = 5,390) conducted in 2002. Associations between acceptance of wife beating and several women’s empowerment variables, including decision-making power, as well as other risk factors were assessed, using odds ratios from binary logistic regression models. The key finding is that the vast majority (87.5%) of Jordanian women believe that wife beating is justified in at least one hypothetical scenario, and justification is negatively associated with empowerment variables and some demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic factors.

Estimating Potential Reductions in Premature Mortality in New York City From Raising the Minimum Wage to

OBJECTIVES To assess potential reductions in premature mortality that could have been achieved in 2008 to 2012 if the minimum wage had been

15

15 per hour in New York City. METHODS Using the 2008 to 2012 American Community Survey, we performed simulations to assess how the proportion of low-income residents in each neighborhood might change with a hypothetical

Predictors of help-seeking behaviour among women exposed to violence in Nigeria: a multilevel analysis to evaluate the impact of contextual and individual factors

15 minimum wage under alternative assumptions of labor market dynamics. We developed an ecological model of premature death to determine the differences between the levels of premature mortality as predicted by the actual proportions of low-income residents in 2008 to 2012 and the levels predicted by the proportions of low-income residents under a hypothetical

Husband’s Control and Sexual Coercion Within Marriage Findings From a Population-Based Survey in Egypt

15 minimum wage. RESULTS A

Rethinking gender-based violence during war: Is violence against civilian men a problem worth addressing?

15 minimum wage could have averted 2800 to 5500 premature deaths between 2008 and 2012 in New York City, representing 4% to 8% of total premature deaths in that period. Most of these avertable deaths would be realized in lower-income communities, in which residents are predominantly people of color. CONCLUSIONS A higher minimum wage may have substantial positive effects on health and should be considered as an instrument to address health disparities.

Community Social Norms As Social Determinants of Violence Against Women

Objectives To simultaneously examine contextual and individual-level predictors of help-seeking behaviour among women exposed to physical and sexual violence in Nigeria. Design A multi-level cross-sectional study. We fit three 3-level random intercepts models to examine contextual and individual-level characteristics associated with help seeking, simultaneously. Setting Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey for 2008. Participants 5553 women (15–49 years) who reported physical or sexual violence, drawn from 23 715 women in the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey that responded to questions on violence exposure. Main outcome measures Help seeking to prevent future victimisation was based on self-report. Results In our sample of women exposed to physical and sexual violence, 39.7% reported that they sought help to stop the perpetrator from hurting them again. Rates of help seeking were geographically patterned by state (range: 12% to 65%). State-level development, measured by the Human Development Index (z-score), was positively associated with help seeking (OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.61), after adjusting for individual-level characteristics. State-level prevalence of violence against women (z-score) was negatively associated with help-seeking (OR=0.68, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.84), suggesting that service providers who may target their programmes to areas with high prevalence of violence, may need to simultaneously address barriers to help seeking. Few individual-level characteristics were associated with help seeking, including wealth, marital status, employment status, ethnicity, history of witnessing domestic violence and relationship to perpetrator. Conclusions Efforts to support female survivors of violence should consider broader social and contextual determinants that are associated with help-seeking behaviours.

Women’s Acceptance of Spousal Abuse in Iraq: Prevalence Rates and the Role of Female Empowerment Characteristics

This article examined sexual coercion within marriage in Egypt. Using cross-sectional survey data from a representative sample of married Egyptian women (N = 5,240), associations between forced intercourse and husband’s control, as well as other relevant sociodemographic factors, were assessed through binary logistic regression models. The lifetime prevalence of forced intercourse was 6.2% and 4.6% during the past year, and husband’s control was significantly associated with forced intercourse during a woman’s lifetime (odds ratio = 3.5) and past year (odds ratio = 2.8). Interventions addressing gender patriarchy and men’s control may decrease incidence of sexual coercion in Egypt and similar contexts.