The existing myths in this regard make us imagine that this type of violence occurs sporadically, events isolated in time, and in many cases motivated because the woman shows provocative behavior that the man must control, or in other cases, the myth still victimizes women more, asserting that “women who endure being hit for so long do so because they want to.”
But, above all, one of the most established myths is that of thinking that sexist violence exists only in socially disadvantaged sectors and in families that have limited economic resources.
Sexist violence in adolescents
What would happen if we discovered that this is not the reality when we talk about sexist violence?
Current studies show us that the population sector most affected by sexist violence is adolescents According to the Spanish macro-survey on violence against women in 2015, 21% of women under 25 years of age who have had a partner have been victims of gender violence. Likewise, a study carried out by González and Santana in 2001 reports that 7.5 of the boys and 7.1 of the girls acknowledge that they have hit or pushed their partner on one or more occasions (Samaniego and Freixas , 2010). These figures are alarming and make us wonder what causes this violence and what factors can be considered risky when it comes to suffering it.
The truth is that In our society, traditional ideals regarding gender still persist Boys are given a certain superiority, and it is assumed that they are born leaders, strong and without weaknesses, on the other hand, girls must be desirably docile, submissive and easily manipulated. These gender stereotypes are what are at the basis of this type of violence, according to studies, even though we assume that they already belong to the past.
Risk factor’s
The risk factors associated with the aggressor in the phenomenon of “dating violence”, the name given to this phenomenon, refer to the modeling processes adopted in childhood, as is the case of minors exposed to violence within the family environment, who will be more likely to reproduce such behaviors in their relationships, or those minors who are immersed in a context in which violence is the main tool to resolve interpersonal conflicts.
Prince and Arias also point to two contrasting personality profiles, on the one hand, the adolescent with high self-esteem and a low sense of control over their life, who uses violence to feel that their control increases, and, on the other hand, that adolescent with low self-esteem and low control who are violent as a way of expressing their frustration (González and Santana, 2010).
Risk factors for victims
For its part, The risk factors considered by the authors in relation to suffering said violence are feelings of hopelessness and low self-esteem an early start in sexual relations, having risky sexual relations, the need for control and the idea of romantic love.
The burden that generates a certain conception of love
The idea of romantic love, “the love that conquers everything,” is instilled in girls almost from birth, with the idea that they need to have a partner to feel truly fulfilled. A study by Barrón and Martínez-Iñigo in 1999 already pointed to the differences in socialization between boys and girls.s. They are taught to tolerate adversities that affect their relationships, to minimize problems to put up with them and believe that they are capable of changing their partners, something that does not happen in the case of boys, who are taught to be independent.
The main problem that exists in violence in adolescent couples lies in the fact that the attacks take place at very early ages. In many cases, This violence is triggered from the first relationship which means that the victim does not have the experience and information to adequately assess the situation they are experiencing and, therefore, cannot realize what is happening and what its consequences will be (González and Santana, 2010).
Furthermore, as occurs with sexist violence, Abuse can range from verbal and emotional abuse to sexual assault and even murder so we are faced with a phenomenon that considerably affects physical and mental health of which anyone can be a victim, regardless of age, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status.
