Identifying Risk Factors for Male Acceptance of Intimate Partner Violence in Ethiopia

Elizabeth Bunde, Tulane University

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a growing public health concern, and the majority of related research focuses on the context and consequences for women. Lacking from current literature are the risk factors and social context of accepting male attitudes toward IPV from the perspective of men. This study sought to determine individual, partnership, community and social level factors that influence accepting male attitudes toward IPV among males age 15-59 in Ethiopia (N=6,033), where over half of males (57%) approve of IPV. Results of a probit regression analysis show that younger ages (15-24 years), lack of education and the Moslem religion were factors associated with more accepting attitudes toward IPV, as were agreement of greater decision-making by the husband alone and responding with violence to a wife’s refusal of sex. These findings underscore the importance of employing a multidimensional framework to understanding the factors that influence male attitudes toward IPV.