Socio-Cultural Contexts for Normative Gender Violence: Pathways of Risk for Intimate Partner Violence

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Well done. This is an interesting and useful study. Looking beyond the individual towards the cultural and global for underlying (or direct) causes of IPV is much needed, and this is a good start in that direction. The recommendations are pretty typical, and I would have liked to see recommendations that address the level of your study results. 

Author Response

Thank you for your review of the article.

 

The conclusion has been revised to address structural based issues globally, while noting cultural nuances that require variation in approaches to violence.  These revisions were made to improve the conclusions as thoroughly supported by the results presented in the article.

Reviewer 2 Report

My remarks are of a formañ nature:

1) The authors should revise Table 1, Table 2 and references, For example: 3, 4, 13, 17, 29, 39, 41, 43...

2) The should ckeck that in the text all words  have the same sice. For example: line 74.

3) On line 442, the authors begin a sentence with the word "First". It is expected thay in later sentences there will be some sentencw with the expression "Second" o similar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Response

Thank you for your review of the article.

 

The tables are formatted to APA style.  It would appear with the transition from the word document submitted and the journal specific design from MDPI, the formatting was altered.  I attempted to make the suggested changes, but will rely on the journal editing team to assist to ensure uniform design throughout. 

 

The references have been reviewed and all are formatted to APA style.

 

The font and size also appear to have been altered during the transition from the word document submitted and the journal specific design from MDPI.  I have made the entire document a uniform font and size, except page 1 as the MDPI team seems to have different fonts on this page.  I will rely on the journal editing team to assist to ensure uniform design throughout.

 

I appreciate the reviewer’s attention to detail.

 

The “First” on line 442 has been removed, with the appropriate changes to grammar added.

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors analyse the significance of the contexts of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), at a transnational level. Particularly, they access the impact of violent socialisation, at familial and community levels, on the normalisation of violence and, consequently, on higher rates of IPV victimisation. Importantly, the authors highlight that violence is a multilevel phenomenon, which can lead to contexts of normalised violence. Accordingly, the authors show that “experiences of violence within multiple domains of society contribute to experiencing violent victimization within intimate relationships” (p9). 

I believe that, overall, the article is well written and grounded. However, I have a few remarks that can help the authors strengthen their argument, or at least ask questions for future research:

·      I would suggest that the authors proofread the article one last time for small issues with referencing and repetition;

·      I would like to see a definition of IPV the first time the term appears (p1, parag. 33);

·      I would like to see a clearer (but brief) presentation of the authors’ aims, methodological strategy, and arguments of the article in the introduction;

·      The authors give us a link to the information of the International Dating Violence study (IDVS). But I would suggest that the authors write a very brief summary of the study (when was it conducted, by whom, in which countries, why);

·      The data collection of the IDVS study was conducted in 2001-2006. Are there any more recent studies by which IPV can be analysed transnationally? Why was the IDVS study chosen? How does it contribute to answer your questions?

·      A final comment is to critically reflect on how to think men and gender diverse people, also, as victims of GBV, and, particularly, IPV, and women as potential perpetrators; and therefore, have a more nuanced way of analysing gender power relations and violence that can help disrupt gender binaries, instead of reifying them. I will leave this reading suggestion: 

Dolan, Chris (2014) 'Has Patriarchy been Stealing the Feminists’ Clothes? Conflict-related Sexual Violence and UN Security Council Resolutions', IDS Bulletin, 45(1): 80-84.

Author Response

Thank you for your review of the article.

 

The research questions are stated in section 1.  The hypotheses are stated in section 1.6.  This is in response to the “can be improved” mark on the check list.  There is no specific comment on how to improve the research questions and hypotheses; therefore, no revisions were made.

 

In response to the “can be improved” mark on the check list for research design and methods, as well as the direct comments:

• I added a sentence to section 1 stating the methodological strategy.
• A brief summary of the IDVS was added to section 2.
• Within the brief summary of the IDVS, I added an explanation as to why the IDVS was used.

 

In response to the “can be improved” mark on the check list for “the arguments and discussion of findings coherent, balanced and compelling,” the discussion and conclusion have been revised to create a more lucid discussion of the structural based issues globally, while noting cultural nuances that require variation in approaches to violence.  There is no specific comment on how to improve the arguments and discussion; therefore, no further revisions were made.

 

The article was proof read again and corrections were made to referencing, as needed, and repetition was removed.

 

The definition of IPV was moved from section 1.3 to section 1.

 

I articulated the aim of the research study and ensuing article more clearly in section 1.

 

I addressed the issues of gender diverse identities in section 4.  The current study does not assess offending; therefore, without empirical support, I do not address this issue in the article.  Further, I have a separate article under review in Crime & Delinquency that addresses power relations and gender violence from an offending perspective; therefore, I am not addressing this issue as I believe this may be a violation of the policies of MDPI/Social Sciences journal.  I will rely on the journal editing team to weigh this issue and determine if further revisions are needed to include the information suggested about offending.