Hegemonic Masculinity and Gender-Based Intimate Partner Violence in Spain: An Analysis of Macrosystem Factors through Victims’ and Perpetrators’ Narratives

Abstract

Intimate partner gender-based violence constitutes a serious public health problem rooted in sociocultural structures. This study aims to identify macrosystem factors—namely, the beliefs and values that legitimize this violence—present in perpetrators, based on a contrast of discourses. Within the framework of Heise’s revised ecological model, a qualitative methodology was employed that combined problem-centred semi-structured interviews, content analysis, and critical discourse analysis, contrasting the narratives of five victims and sixty perpetrators. The results reveal a marked presence of hegemonic masculinity in the victims’ accounts (46%), with dominance and the belief of ownership over women (30%) emerging as the most recurrent elements. While victims describe perpetrators as figures who use violence as a tool of control, the perpetrators’ discourse shows notable opacity, focusing on the minimization of their actions and victim-blaming to evade responsibility. It is concluded that victims’ testimonies are essential to uncover the structural factors that perpetrators omit, and that this knowledge is key to improving risk assessment and advancing the eradication of this form of violence.