Key Social Norms Take-aways This study shows that gender-equitable community norms among senior men are associated with lower levels of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by younger men in Bangladesh. However, these norms do not mitigate the increased risk of IPV linked to childhood exposure to violence. This suggests that while shifting norms is crucial, it may not be sufficient to counteract the lasting effects of early trauma.
Objectives The study examined whether equitable gender norms among senior men in a community reduce IPV perpetration among younger men, and whether these norms moderate the relationship between childhood exposure to violence and IPV perpetration.
Methods Researchers analyzed data from the 2011 Bangladesh UN Multi-Country Study of Men and Violence. The sample included 570 married men aged 18–34 (junior men) and 938 married men aged 35–49 (senior men) across 112 urban and rural communities. Multilevel Poisson regression models assessed how junior men’s IPV perpetration was associated with their childhood exposure to violence and the prevailing gender norms among senior men in their communities. Community gender norms were measured using senior men’s responses to eight validated items on gender roles, dichotomized to capture the top quartile of most equitable communities.
Results Half of junior men reported ever perpetrating physical IPV, and 64% reported childhood exposure to violence. Men living in communities with the most equitable gender norms had a 47% lower scope of IPV acts perpetrated. Conversely, a one standard deviation increase in exposure to childhood violence was associated with a 32% increase in IPV scope. However, there was no significant interaction between community norms and childhood violence exposure—equitable norms did not buffer the influence of early violence. Junior men in more equitable communities also tended to have more education and fewer children, suggesting intersecting social and structural influences.
Conclusions Community-level gender norms among senior men play an important role in shaping IPV behaviors among younger men, supporting efforts to shift social expectations. However, the persistent effect of childhood exposure to violence—unmoderated by community norms—highlights the need for comprehensive prevention strategies that address both social norms and early trauma. Norm change is necessary but not sufficient on its own to prevent IPV.