Background: Domestic violence is a pervasive issue characterized by a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviors within an intimate relationship. While traditional gendered models often portray males as perpetrators and females as victims, this perspective oversimplifies the complex reality of intimate partner violence (IPV). Research indicates that domestic violence can affect individuals of any gender. Therefore, this study aims to examine domestic violence as it is experienced by both males and females.
Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 240 cohabiting couples in Gorgan, northern Iran, in 2022. The researchers used a simple random sampling method, facilitated by R software (version 4.4.2) and the national electronic health information system, to identify eligible participants. Participants included females aged 20–49 and their husbands, all of whom had been married for at least two years. Data were collected via the online, self-administered Persian version of the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 (CTS2), which measures the following subscales of conflict: Psychological aggression, physical assault, sexual coercion, and injury. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and qualitative statistics (frequency and percentage). The Kruskal-Wallis test was employed to compare mean scores between groups, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05.
Results: This study's findings revealed that 52.8% of couples (95% confidence interval [CI]: 40.72–58.45) experienced domestic violence. The research further specified the prevalence of various forms of violence as follows: Bilateral violence: 25% (95% CI: 19.48–30.52), male-to-female partner violence (MFPV): 19.58% (95% CI: 14.53–26.64), and female-to-male violence (FMPV): 7.5% (95% CI: 4.14–10.86). The most frequently reported types of abuse were psychological aggression (male: 5.0 ± 3.48; female: 5.07 ± 3.67) and sexual coercion (male: 2.71 ± 1.8; female: 2.93 ± 2.42).
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that IPV can be perpetrated by any individual within a relationship, regardless of gender. Consequently, educational initiatives and screening programs should be developed to include both members of a couple, instead of being focused on a single individual. These findings can be utilized by healthcare professionals to develop more comprehensive prevention strategies and to enhance the effectiveness of existing screening protocols for IPV.
