Resumen

PANTELIDES, Edith Alejandra  y  MANZELLI, Hernán. Violence within a couple: Evidences from surveys to Central American men. Pap. poblac [online]. 2005, vol.11, n.45, pp.247-270. ISSN 2448-7147.

This article deals with the violence (including control behavior) which occurs between the members of a couple. The article is based on a survey to men of 15-44 years of age, residents of low income neighborhoods of the main cities of each of six countries in Central America. The results show low percentages of men justifying violence against women «in general», but higher percentages when they are faced with concrete situations; these higher percentages are more in accordance with the violence actually exercised as declared by the men. In at least one third of all couples one of the members has exercised violence against the other, at least once. It is possible to identify cities in which violent attitudes and behavior are more frequent. Men declare themselves as being more often victims than perpetrators of violence, suggesting the need for qualitative exploration and for more subtle measurement instruments.

Palabras llave : domestic violence; gender relationships; violence against women; Central America.