Interpersonal Violence, Culture, and Stigma in Ghana

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an objectionable occurrence in many societies, but in developing and patriarchal contexts, numerous socio-cultural factors shape how it is perceived and addressed. IPV is a violation of human rights that affects all genders but disproportionately impacts women, often resulting in social isolation, mental health challenges, and economic insecurity. In Sub-Saharan Africa, IPV remains widespread. In Ghana, while legislative and institutional reforms have strengthened responses to IPV, including enhanced reporting mechanisms, it remains unclear whether increases in reported cases reflect a rise in prevalence or greater willingness to report. Socio-cultural influences such as gender relations, employment, and religion continue to shape public attitudes toward IPV. This study examines how participant demographics and experimentally manipulated vignette characteristics—specifically survivor gender and employment status—influence stigma-related beliefs about IPV survivors and perpetrators in Ghana. Using an experimental vignette methodology, 658 Ghanaians participated in a survey on attitudes towards IPV. Results revealed significant gender and religiosity-based differences in perceptions. Female survivors were viewed as less responsible for the violence and were more likely to be perceived as needing help, while male survivors were more often blamed or viewed as weak. Older and more educated participants were more likely to blame male perpetrators than female ones. Although there were no significant differences in perceived problem seriousness based on the randomized vignette conditions (survivor gender and employment status), participants with higher religiosity tended to view IPV as a less serious problem. These findings underscore the influence of deeply rooted socio-cultural norms on public perceptions of IPV in Ghana and highlight the importance of adapting community-based stigma reduction and advocacy interventions to address demographic variation in attitudes toward survivors and perpetrators.