The Psychology of Gender and Health - Chapter 7: Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Prevention and Intervention Strategies in Spain

Violence against women is a growing area of study in development, because it is directly related to the health and psychological consequences associated with victims. It is a type of violence that transcends countries, social classes, and age. Violence against women is considered a major public health problem and a crucial factor in the deterioration of health because of both its magnitude and the seriousness of its consequences. It is considered a gender-based violence, because research has shown the influence of traditional gender norms and attitudes related to inequality between men and women have in the etiology of violence against women. The first part of this chapter attempts to highlight and contextualize some key concepts related to intimate partner violence against women, its causes, its scope, and the severity of the psychological consequences that research has associated with being a victim of such violence. The second part of the chapter provides a summary of the main strategies that have been proposed to combat this problem by different international and European organizations, with particular attention to the specific application that has been carried out in Spain regarding the most relevant prevention strategies and the basics that guide intervention and psychological treatment of perpetrators and victims of this type of violence.