Structures of Violence Throughout the Life Course: Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Gender-Based Violence

Gender-based violence is a significant health, economic, social, and political problem that affects every inhabited corner of the globe. Although the research community first took note of gender-based violence 40 years ago, it has only been in the last 20 years that significant policy and legal frameworks have been generated and adopted to ensure countries are working to prevent and end the scale and scope of violence in their communities. This chapter discusses the broad framework of gender-based violence, and focuses most specifically on the two forms of violence most prevalent across the globe: domestic violence and sexual violence. Providing an overview of social science research conducted at the local level, this chapter exposes how forms of violence impact people in their everyday lives. Lastly, the chapter explores how violence impacts particular demographic categories in different ways, and how programs and policies must better attend to the diversity of experiences people have with violence.