Spousal Disagreement in Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence in Kenya
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 110,
May 2020
(pp. 620-24)
Abstract
We investigate differences in spousal reports of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women and men using a sample of 800 couples in rural Kenya. We find that up to one-third of couples disagree but that disagreement varies by violence type and victim's gender. We study the role of gender attitudes in explaining this heterogeneity. We find that couples with more gender-unequal attitudes are more likely to agree on violence against women and less likely to agree on violence against men. This suggests that gender norms govern reporting by the victim. Thus, discrepancies may result even if perpetrators report accurately.Citation
Haushofer, Johannes, Charlotte Ringdal, Jeremy Shapiro, and Xiao Yu Wang. 2020. "Spousal Disagreement in Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence in Kenya." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 110: 620-24. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20201049Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- J12 Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure; Domestic Abuse
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
- O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
- O17 Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
- J12 Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure; Domestic Abuse
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination