Journal Article

Health Impacts of Isolating Gender Violence

Flecha, Ramon, Melgar, Patricia, Racionero-Plaza, Sandra, Puigvert, Lidia

2024

Overview

Isolating Gender Violence (IGV) is the violence perpetrated against those who support victims of gender violence and results from such support. Research has shown that overcoming IGV is central to eliminate gender violence. In this regard, a central step occurred in December 2020, when the Catalan Parliament approved by unanimity the creation of a new juridical figure and legal victim that never existed in the world before: victims of IGV. Now, professionals are demanding research evidence on health impacts of IGV to better support these victims. However, while the health consequences of sexual harassment have been widely examined, none analyses about whether and how IGV impacts its victims’ health exist. This article reports the first study exploring the perceptions of a group of IGV victims about the impact of IGV on their physical and mental health, if any. Data was collected with 21 semi-structured interviews and 1 communicative discussion group. The interviewing focused on participants’ perceptions about whether and how IGV affected their mental and/or physical health. Participants were 25 women and 4 men, all victims of IGV. The participants self-reported that IGV harmed their health status and shared their perceptions on some ways in which this occurred. Additionally, participants shared that: a) IGV reached their children affecting the minors’ emotional wellbeing, and b) they had a strong feeling of injustice which was perceived too as deteriorating their health. Studies based on diagnosis and with larger samples are necessary to further investigate the health consequences of IGV. Plain Language Summary Health impacts of violence against supporters of victims of gender violence Isolating Gender Violence (IGV) is the violence perpetrated against those who support victims of gender violence and results from their support. This study explores the perceptions of a group of IGV victims about the impact that such violence had on their physical and mental health, if any. This is relevant as none analyses about whether and how IGV impacts its victims’ health exist. Data was collected with 21 semi-structured interviews and 1 communicative discussion group. Participants were 25 women and 4 men, all victims of IGV. The participants self-reported that IGV harmed their health status and shared their perceptions on some ways in which this occurred. Additionally, they manifested that the IGV they experienced also reached their children, affecting the minors’ emotional wellbeing. They also reported a strong feeling of injustice that they also saw as deteriorating their health. While the health consequences of sexual harassment have been widely examined, this is the first analysis about whether and how IGV impacts its victims’ health. Health professionals can use this knowledge to better support IGV victims’ health, and these results provide more evidence, now related to health status, to strengthen the need for protocols on gender violence to include measures to protect those who support gender violence victims. This is not only because without supporters, gender violence cannot be eliminated, but also because IGV puts supporters’ health at stake. The study presents limitations as no generalization can be claimed and it is based on victims’ perceptions.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC,SAGE Publishing
• Subject: Discussion groups / Emotional well being / Gender-based violence / Health status / Interviews / Legislatures / Medical diagnosis / Mental health / Perceptions / Physical Health / Sexual behavior / Sexual harassment / Victims / Victims of Crime / Violence / Well being