Positive Masculinities and Gender-Based Violence Educational Interventions Among Young People: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Hegemonic masculinity has been recognized as contributing to the perpetration of different forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Abandoning hegemonic masculinities and promoting positive masculinities are both strategies used by interventions that foreground a "gender-transformative approach." Preventing GBV among young people could be strengthened by engaging young men. In this article, we aim to systematically review the primary characteristics, methodological quality, and results of published evaluation studies of educational interventions that aim to prevent different forms of GBV through addressing hegemonic masculinities among young people. MAIN BODY: We conducted a systematic review of available literature (2008-2019) using Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, the CINAHL Complete Database, and ERIC as well as Google scholar. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication was used for data extraction, and the quality of the selected studies was analyzed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. More than half of the studies were conducted in Africa (n = 10/15) and many were randomized controlled trials (n = 8/15). Most of the studies with quantitative and qualitative methodologies (n = 12/15) reported a decrease in physical GBV and/or sexual violence perpetration/victimization (n = 6/15). Longitudinal studies reported consistent results over time. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the importance of using a gender-transformative approach in educational interventions to engage young people in critical thinking about hegemonic masculinity and to prevent GBV.

Dating violence and associated factors among male and female adolescents in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Dating Violence (DV) is a public health problem that is on the rise. In this paper, we aim to analyse different factors associated with DV victimization among female and male adolescents in Spain, considering socioeconomic circumstances, sexual orientation and the presence of different attitudes and experiences related to violence. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from a convenience sample of 640 ever-partnered adolescents aged 13 to 17 at schools in the cities of Alicante (n = 359, 50.1% girls) and Terrassa (n = 281, 51.9%) in the context of an educational intervention to promote healthy relationships. We calculated the prevalence of different forms of DV (physical, sexual and control and fear) and carried out multivariate regression models by sex. RESULTS: 5.5% of girls and 8.7% of boys declared having suffered lifetime physical and/or sexual violence, while 22% of girls and 20.5% of boys reported control and/or fear victimization. The likelihood of DV was higher among migrants and those with foreign-born parents (aPR girls = 2.1 CI95%: 1.1-3.9; aPR boys = 1.9: CI95%: 1.0-3.6); prior experiences of abuse (aPR girls = 1.6; CI95%: 1.0-2.6; aPR boys = 1.7; CI95%: 1.1-2.6); and those who showed higher levels of machismo (aPR girls = 1.0; CI95%: 1.0-1.1; aPR boys = 1.0; CI95%: 1.0-1.1). In girls, DV increased among those who reported lesbian/bisexual orientation and poor relationship with teachers. CONCLUSIONS: DV is socially patterned and increases among LGB adolescents (especially in the case of girls), migrants, and those with foreign-born parents, and adolescents who reported prior experiences of violence in childhood. Future DV prevention programs should consider social inequalities in the likelihood of DV and by reinforcing adolescents' abilities to recognize social support sources and reject machismo and violence.

Priorities and strategies for improving Roma women's access to primary health care services in cases on intimate partner violence: a concept mapping study.

BACKGROUND: With an explicit focus on Roma women in Spain (Kale/Spanish Gypsies), this study aims to integrate key informants' opinions about the main actions needed to improve primary health care services' and professionals' responses to Roma women in an Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) situation. METHODS: Concept mapping study. A total of 50 (brainstorming phase), 36 (sorting and rating phase) and 16 (interpretation phase) participants from Roma civil society groups, primary health care professionals and other related stakeholders (social services, academic experts and other IPV NGOs representatives) from different cities in Spain were involved in the different study phases. RESULTS: Among the 55 action proposals generated, ten priority actions were identified through consensus as most important for improving primary health care's response to Romani women in an IPV situation, and these included primary, secondary and tertiary prevention activities. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that efforts to address this challenge should take an integrated approach that reinforces the primary health care response to IPV in general, while also promoting more specific actions to address barriers to access that affect all Roma women and those who experience IPV in particular.