"Demonstrating Masculinity" Via Intimate Partner Aggression: The Moderating Effect of Heavy Episodic Drinking

A global review of the impact on women from men's alcohol drinking: the need for responding with a gendered lens

BACKGROUND

Global evidence shows that men's harmful alcohol use contributes to intimate partner violence (IPV) and other harms. Yet, interventions that target alcohol-related harms to women are scarce. Quantitative analyses demonstrate links with physical and verbal aggression; however, the specific harms to women from men's drinking have not been well articulated, particularly from an international perspective.

AIM

To document the breadth and nature of harms and impact of men's drinking on women.

METHODS

A narrative review, using inductive analysis, was conducted of peer-reviewed qualitative studies that: (a) focused on alcohol (men's drinking), (b) featured women as primary victims, (c) encompassed direct/indirect harms, and (d) explicitly featured alcohol in the qualitative results. Papers were selected following a non-time-limited systematic search of key scholarly databases.

RESULTS

Thirty papers were included in this review. The majority of studies were conducted in low- to middle-income countries. The harms in the studies were collated and organised under three main themes: (i) harmful alcohol-related actions by men (e.g. violence, sexual coercion, economic abuse), (ii) impact on women (e.g. physical and mental health harm, relationship functioning, social harm), and (iii) how partner alcohol use was framed by women in the studies.

CONCLUSION

Men's drinking results in a multitude of direct, indirect and hidden harms to women that are cumulative, intersecting and entrench women's disempowerment. An explicit gendered lens is needed in prevention efforts to target men's drinking and the impact on women, to improve health and social outcomes for women worldwide.

Mapping gender role stress scales utilities: a scoping review approach

Introduction

Gender role stress emerges as a concept to try to explain the health difficulties presented by men and women due to gender socialization. Thus, gender role stress arises when individuals feel stressed due to their perceived inability to fulfill the demands of their gender role, or when they believe that a particular situation necessitates behavior traditionally attributed to the opposite gender. To evaluate the presence of gender role stress in individuals, two scales were developed: the masculine gender role stress scale and the feminine gender role scale.

Objective

To identify the main thematic areas studied in the behavioral sciences with the feminine gender role stress scale (FGRSS) and the masculine gender role stress scale (MGRSS) as main variables, specifically examining their contributions to the understanding of the attitudes and behaviors of individuals who are affected by gender role stress. We also aimed to analyze the difference, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in terms of scientific literature produced between the scales.

Method

We followed the preferred items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist. A scoping review of the literature was conducted using systematic techniques, resulting in the inclusion of 87 articles utilizing either of the two scales.

Results

80% (n = 72) of the articles employed the MGRSS, while 20% (n = 18) utilized the FGRSS. The MGRSS articles were also the most frequently cited in the literature. The FGRSS has been predominantly used to examine the implications for women's well-being, whereas the MGRSS has primarily been employed to predict disruptive behaviors in men.

Conclusion

This scoping review highlights disparities in the scientific literature concerning the examination of feminine and masculine gender role stress and its consequences for people. Specifically, it points out the limited investigation into feminine gender role stress and its ramifications compared to masculine gender role stress. These findings indicates the lack of a gender perspective even in research intended to study it, and outline the importance of more research with a gender perspective where women are the aim of study.

A Comparative Analysis of Gender Discrepancy Stress, Attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence, and Perpetration among Young Adults in the USA and Uganda

BACKGROUND

There is a dearth of data on the modifiable factors that contribute to violence in low- and middle-income countries, including attitudes regarding intimate partner violence (IPV) and perceptions of gender identity. We examined these factors using a cross-cultural comparison between young adults in Uganda and the United States.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was distributed to young adults aged 18 to 25 in Uganda (n = 300) and the U.S. (n = 300). Survey questions assessed demographics, attitudes toward IPV, IPV victimization and perpetration, gender discrepancy, discrepancy stress, and alcohol use. We conducted chi-square tests, as well as bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses, separately for participants in each country.

RESULTS

The prevalence of IPV perpetration differed significantly by country for men (58.06% in the U.S. vs. 42.73% in Uganda; p = 0.03) and women (40.00% in the U.S. vs. 14.00% in Uganda; p < 0.01). IPV victimization differed by country for men (67.74% in the U.S. vs. 51.82% in Uganda; p = 0.02) but not for women. Gender discrepancy and discrepancy stress also varied by country and by sex and were higher in the U.S. for both men and women. IPV victimization was a common risk factor for adults in both Uganda (Adj. OR = 23.47; 95% CI: 7.79, 70.22) and the U.S. (Adj. OR = 27.40; 95% CI: 9.97, 75.32). In Uganda, male sex was significantly associated with IPV perpetration in multivariable analyses (Adj. OR = 6.23; 95% CI: 2.45, 15.86), and so were IPV attitudes (Adj. OR = 2.22; 1.20, 4.10). In the U.S., a likely alcohol use disorder (AUD) was also significantly associated with IPV perpetration (Adj. OR = 7.11; 95% CI: 2.25, 22.54).

CONCLUSIONS

Permissive IPV attitudes were associated with IPV perpetration among Ugandan participants, while likely AUD was associated with perpetration in U.S.

PARTICIPANTS

Overall, IPV perpetration was significantly higher for U.S. males compared with Ugandan males. These findings indicate that cultural adaptations to global IPV interventions may be necessary to respond to differing needs in different countries.

The Effects of Husbands' Alcohol Consumption and Women's Empowerment on Intimate Partner Violence in India

The influence of husband's alcohol consumption and that of women's empowerment has been largely studied separately in relation to the intimate partner violence (IPV) faced by women, which has hindered a nuanced understanding of gender-based violence in India. This study aimed to understand how husbands' alcohol consumption shapes the relationship between women's empowerment and violence among Indian couples. Data from the 2015-16 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) were used in this study. A composite women's empowerment index was constructed and its association with husbands' drunkenness and odds of facing emotional, physical, severe, and sexual violence was examined. This study found that compared to women whose husbands were never drunk, those whose husbands were sometimes or often drunk had significantly higher odds of experiencing physical, emotional, and sexual violence. For all the types of IPV, an increase in the empowerment index was associated with a significant reduction in the odds of experiencing violence. However, increasing frequency of husband's drunkenness in combination with increasing scores on the empowerment index was associated with a significant increase in the odds of IPV, except sexual violence. Our findings highlight the nuances of IPV, situating the experiences of women in the social, cultural, and economic realities of Indian society.

Does drinking modify the relationship between men's gender-inequitable attitudes and their perpetration of intimate partner violence? A meta-analysis of surveys of men from seven countries in the Asia Pacific region

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Although men's alcohol misuse and less gender-equitable attitudes have been identified as risks for perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), less is known about how men's gender-equitable attitudes and drinking act together to increase risk of IPV. This study aimed to assess the independent relationships of lower gender-equitable attitudes and drinking to perpetration of IPV and their interaction among men in seven countries.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence (UNMCS) and Nabilan Study databases consisting of (1) unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression to measure the association of perpetration of IPV with gender-equitable men (GEM) scale score and regular heavy episodic drinking (RHED) and (2) meta-analyses of prevalence and effect estimates adjusted for country-level sites and countries.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 9148 ever-partnered 18-49-year-old men surveyed in 2011-15 from 18 sites in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste.

MEASUREMENTS

The outcome variable is reported perpetration of physical or sexual IPV in the previous year.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

GEM scale scores; RHED, defined as six or more drinks in one session at least monthly (compared with other drinkers and abstainers).

FINDINGS

Pooled past-year prevalence of perpetration of IPV was 13% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 9-16%]. GEM scores and RHED were independently associated with perpetration of IPV overall and in most sites. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) for perpetration of IPV with less equitable GEM scores were 1.07 (95% CI = 1.04, 1.09) and with RHED were 3.42 (95% CI = 2.43, 4.81). A significant interaction between GEM score and RHED (P = 0.001) indicated that RHED increased the relationship of less gender-equitable attitudes and perpetration of IPV.

CONCLUSION

Both gender-inequitable attitudes and drinking appear to be associated with perpetration of intimate partner violence by men, with regular heavy episodic drinking increasing the likelihood of intimate partner violence among men with less equitable gender attitudes.

Mapping the evidence of intimate partner violence among women living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

OBJECTIVES

The present study undertakes a scoping review aimed to map the evidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

DESIGN

We used the online database to identify papers published from 1 January 2009 to 1 April 2019, from which we selected 21 articles from Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Tanzania and Swaziland that used IPV as an outcome variable among women living with HIV/AIDS.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCO host, Google Scholar.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included women who were aged 15 years and above, living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

We conducted the abstract screening with two independent reviewers. We also performed full-text screening. We used the six methodological frameworks proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. The Mixed Method Appraisal Tool was used to determine the quality of the studies. We used NVIVO software V.12 to undertake a thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Of the studies, the majority, 57.1%, reported cross-sectional results. In comparison, 23.8% examined qualitative studies, 9.5% were clinical trials, 4.8% were cohort studies and the remaining 4.8% covered grey literature. This review revealed evidence of IPV experience among women with HIV/AIDS, evidence of how HIV status disclosure influences IPV, proof of the association of sociodemographic characteristics with IPV and implications for practice. Moreover, the review revealed that following the serostatus disclosure, there is evidence of heightened risk for IPV.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found evidence of IPV among women living with HIV/AIDS. The HIV-positive women were at considerable risk of IPV after disclosure of their serostatus to a male partner. Therefore, further research is needed to promote action to reduce IPV among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women and to determine healthcare workers' IPV screening experience.

Hegemonic masculinity predicts 2016 and 2020 voting and candidate evaluations

Donald J. Trump’s history-making ascension from nonpolitician to president of the United States has been attributed to the antiestablishment, antielitist, and nativist populism of Trump voters, as well as to sexism, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Based on the findings of seven studies involving 2,007 people, men’s and women’s endorsement of hegemonic masculinity predicted support for Trump over and beyond the aforementioned factors, even when controlling for political party affiliation. Results highlight the importance of looking beyond social identity–based conceptualizations of masculinity to fully consider how men’s and women’s endorsement of cultural ideologies about masculinity legitimate patriarchal forms of dominance and reify gender-, race-, and class-based hierarchies.

This work examined whether the endorsement of the culturally idealized form of masculinity—hegemonic masculinity (HM)—accounted for unique variance in men’s and women’s support for Donald Trump across seven studies (n = 2,007). Consistent with our theoretical backdrop, in the days (Studies 1 and 2) and months (Studies 3 through 6) following the 2016 American presidential election, women’s and men’s endorsement of HM predicted voting for and evaluations of Trump, over and above political party affiliation, gender, race, and education. These effects held when controlling for respondents’ trust in the government, in contrast to a populist explanation of support for Trump. In addition, as conceptualized, HM was associated with less trust in the government (Study 3), more sexism (Study 4), more racism (Study 5), and more xenophobia (Study 6) but continued to predict unique variance in evaluations of Trump when controlling for each of these factors. Whereas HM predicted evaluations of Trump, across studies, social and prejudiced attitudes predicted evaluations of his democratic challengers: Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. We replicate the findings of Studies 1 through 6 using a nationally representative sample of the United States (Study 7) 50 days prior to the 2020 presidential election. The findings highlight the importance of psychological examinations of masculinity as a cultural ideology to understand how men’s and women’s endorsement of HM legitimizes patriarchal dominance and reinforces gender, race, and class-based hierarchies via candidate support.

Sexual Partnership-Level Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Lima, Peru

To improve understanding of factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) and explore its role in sexually transmitted infection (STI) acquisition, we analyzed partnership-level correlates of IPV among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) in Peru. In a 2017 cross-sectional study of rectal STI screening and HIV prevention, MSM/TW completed a sociobehavioral survey addressing demographic characteristics, sexual risk behaviors, and substance use, and were tested for rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. Generalized estimating equations estimated individual- and partner-level correlates of IPV. Of 576 participants (median age, 27 years), 7.9% (36/456) of MSM and 15.0% (18/120) of TW reported IPV with ≥ 1 of their last three partners. MSM/TW reporting IPV were more likely to meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder (74.1%) than participants reporting no IPV (56.7%; p < .01). Physical violence (4.5% MSM; 9.2% TW) was associated with stable partnerships (aPR 3.79, 95% CI 1.79-8.04), partner concurrency (4.42, 1.19-16.40), and participant alcohol (4.71, 1.82-12.17) or drug use (5.38, 2.22-13.02) prior to sex. Psychological violence (4.5% MSM; 5.0% TW) was associated with stable partnerships (2.84, 1.01-7.99). Sexual IPV was reported by 1.1% of MSM and 5.0% of TW. Physical, psychological, and sexual IPV were reported in sexual partnerships of Peruvian MSM and TW, particularly with stable partners and in conjunction with substance use.

Drink, Don't Think: The Role of Masculinity and Thought Suppression in Men's Alcohol-Related Aggression

Alcohol consumption is a well-established risk factor for aggressive behavior. However, evidence suggests that alcohol's effect on aggression varies as a function of individual- and situational-based instigating and inhibiting factors. Endorsement of traditional masculine gender norms has been consistently identified as an instigating factor for alcohol-related aggression. Likewise, individuals who habitually engage in thought suppression (i.e., the attempt to inhibit the occurrence of unwanted thoughts) have been shown to be at increased risk for behavioral disinhibition and aggression. In the present study, we test the hypothesis that thought suppression mediates the association between masculine norms and alcohol-related aggression. Two hundred forty-five men with a history of recent heavy episodic alcohol use completed surveys assessing their endorsement of traditional masculine norms, use of thought suppression, and both trait and alcohol-related aggression. Results indicated that thought suppression fully mediated the association between the toughness masculine norm and alcohol-related aggression. In addition, thought suppression partially mediated the association between the toughness norm and trait aggression. Findings are discussed in terms of the potential utility of cognitive-emotion regulation and norm-based interventions for reducing alcohol-related aggression.

The Impact of History of Aggression and Alcohol Use on Aggressive: Responding in the Laboratory

The current study examines how different levels of past aggression combined with self-reported levels of alcohol use impacted lab-based aggressive responding. Data were collected from 160 male undergraduate college students. Participants completed online measures of drinking (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and past aggression (Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire) prior to a lab session assessing aggressive responding [Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP)]. Regression analyses revealed participants with “high” levels of past alcohol use and a history of “high” aggression were more likely to respond aggressively on the PSAP, a trend primarily driven by those with a history of physical aggression. For proactively aggressive participants, the risk for aggressive responding is greater in individuals with a history of physically aggressive behavior as they report higher alcohol use, relative to those “low” in past aggression. The interaction of alcohol use and past aggression was associated with continued aggressive behavior.

Gender Expression, Violence, and Bullying Victimization: Findings From Probability Samples of High School Students in 4 US School Districts

BACKGROUND

Young people may experience school-based violence and bullying victimization related to their gender expression, independent of sexual orientation identity. However, the associations between gender expression and bullying and violence have not been examined in racially and ethnically diverse population-based samples of high school students.

METHODS

This study includes 5469 students (13-18 years) from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys conducted in 4 urban school districts. Respondents were 51% Hispanic/Latino, 21% black/African American, 14% white. Generalized additive models were used to examine the functional form of relationships between self-reported gender expression (range: 1 = Most gender conforming, 7 = Most gender nonconforming) and 5 indicators of violence and bullying victimization. We estimated predicted probabilities across gender expression by sex, adjusting for sexual orientation identity and potential confounders.

RESULTS

Statistically significant quadratic associations indicated that girls and boys at the most gender conforming and nonconforming ends of the scale had elevated probabilities of fighting and fighting-related injury, compared to those in the middle of the scale (p < .05). There was a significant linear relationship between gender expression and bullying victimization; every unit increase in gender nonconformity was associated with 15% greater odds of experiencing bullying (p < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

School-based victimization is associated with conformity and nonconformity to gender norms. School violence prevention programs should include gender diversity education.