Intimate partner violence against women. A comparative analysis at the level of EU states

Abstract

Domestic violence is a scourge that exists and claims victims even in the most democratic and civilized states, with women being particularly affected. The number and shares of ever-partnered women who have experienced violence by an intimate partner (IPV) continue to register significant values ​​determined by a multitude of factors, from patriarchal norms and popular cultural specificities, to economic and social conditions. Given these aspects, based on the results of EU surveys on gender-based violence against women, with 2021 as the base year, similarities and disparities between EU states were analyzed, highlighting the impact of age, degree of urbanisation and level of education on the incidence of IPV against women. The results obtained lead to the conclusion of a diversity of behaviours, the three factors taken into account leading to the formation of groups of states with contradictory behaviors. At the level of EU states, there is no common characteristic regarding the influence of age, degree of urbanisation or level of education on the incidence of IPV. Consequently, reducing the incidence of IPV requires the adoption of specific measures for states and groups of states.