Gender-Based Violence Beliefs and Stereotypes: Cross-Cultural Comparison Across Three Countries

Cultural values, beliefs, and stereotypes have significant effects on violence against women across societies but knowledge about gender-based violence beliefs and stereotypes across societies is sparse. Using multiple theoretical perspectives (e.g., feminist theory, varieties of patriarchy, social dominance theory, and ambivalent sexism) and human development and the Gender Inequality Index, this study examined beliefs about relationship violence against women and gender beliefs and stereotypes across the United States, South Africa, and Nigeria. Findings from the cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of 363 respondents in the three countries suggested that gender-based violence beliefs and stereotypes differed across countries. Specifically, respondents in Nigeria were more likely to endorse physical violence, psychological manipulation and control, sexual violence, sexual submissiveness of women, emotional stereotypes about women, and sexual stereotypes about men than respondents in the United States or South Africa. Respondents in the United States were less likely to endorse emotional stereotypes about women and sexual stereotypes about men than respondents in South Africa. Similarly, male respondents were more likely than female respondents to endorse psychological manipulation and control of women. Findings highlight differential effects of patriarchal structures and ideologies on gender-based violence beliefs and stereotypes across societies. Implications of findings for theory, practice, and research are discussed.