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Heterosexual Dating Violence and Social Gender Relations: Voices of Young Portuguese Girls

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Female Crime and Delinquency in Portugal

Abstract

This chapter aims to characterize dating violence and social gender relations through voices of young Portuguese girls. Considering that heterosexual dating violence is a widespread phenomenon in Portugal and Portuguese girls are generally described as both victims and offenders, a critical approach was developed to discuss how gender (re)constructs and (re)defines social practices and narratives about juvenile intimate partner violence. Using a focus-group method, we questioned 107 young Portuguese girls, aged between 11 and 17 years old (M = 13.38), about youth social relationships and intimate partner relationships among young people. Thirteen focus groups were conducted. The data was examined through thematic analysis. The results confirm that dating violence is present in teens’ lives, and is suffered and perpetrated by both girls and boys. Gender specificities are addressed concerning practices, attitudes and motives, with girls admitting to using violence towards boys as a right achieved by gender equality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Universitário da Maia (ISMAI), Maia, Portugal

    Sofia Neves

  2. Centro Interdisciplinar de Estudos de Género (CIEG/ISCSP), Lisbon, Portugal

    Sofia Neves

  3. Universidade do Porto, Oporto, Portugal

    Joana Torres

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  1. Sofia Neves
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  2. Joana Torres
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. CICS.NOVA Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal

    Sílvia Gomes

  2. CICS.NOVA Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal

    Vera Duarte

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Neves, S., Torres, J. (2018). Heterosexual Dating Violence and Social Gender Relations: Voices of Young Portuguese Girls. In: Gomes, S., Duarte, V. (eds) Female Crime and Delinquency in Portugal. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73534-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73534-4_7

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-73533-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-73534-4

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