Gender Perspective in Research on Interventions in Children with Experiences of Parental Gender-Based Violence: Application of GPIHR Criteria.

Concepción López-Soler,María Vicenta Alcántara López,Benjamín Pereira-Román

doi:10.3390/ijerph182111047

Concepción López-Soler, María Vicenta Alcántara López + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111047

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse the inclusion of a gender perspective (GP) in scientific production on interventions for a reduction in psychological distress in children who have experienced parental gender-based violence (CEXPGBV). To achieve this, a review of publications was carried out in the Web of Science, EBSCOhost, ProQuest and Cochrane Library databases. A total of 3418 records were found, and 44 items of research selected. For GP analysis, the questionnaire “Gender perspective in health research” (GPIHR) was applied and relationships with the terminology of violence were analysed, as well as the definition of term used, references to violence by men or received by women and the instruments used to assess these. Generally, the assessed studies do not contain a GP, since 70% of the GPIHR items were answered negatively. Likewise, 89% of research used general terms to refer to violence without referring to gender. These results show the importance of considering instruments such as GPIHR in both the planning and development of future research in order to avoid possible gender bias.

Highlights

There are several systematic reviews and meta-analyses highlighting the psychological distress caused to children who have witnessed gender-based violence towards their mother in the primary family nucleus [28,29,30]. Data from these studies are consistent with the latest report by the Government Delegation for Gender Violence (2015) “The invisible victims of gender violence” in the Spanish population [31], where we found that these children present statistically significant difficulties related to internalizing responses, externalizing and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with several comorbidities among these, defined as Complex Trauma or Developmental
The aim of this study was to analyse the inclusion of a gender perspective in scientific production available until 2020 on interventions to reduce psychological distress in children who have suffered parental/referential gender-based violence
Of 48 records excluded in the last screening phase, 39.6% related to the ambiguity noted, of 48 records excluded in the last screening phase, 39.6% related to the ambiguity of of describing as “parent” the main caregiver of the children who had been assaulted

Summary

Introduction

Gender perspective (GP) is a theoretical approach with the main aim of analysing gender inequalities, with some of its central categories being socialisation and gender roles/practices, and power relations or domination systems—subordination between sexes [1]. As Rohlfs et al [2] have stated, the application of GP in health research has become a requirement of good practice in different fields and professions. Both national and international organizations stress the need to include GP in health research to advance scientific quality, avoid bias, reduce inequality and advance equity in people’s health [3,4,5]. Despite an increase in promoting the advantages of including GP, its application remains scarce [7]

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