Citation

Asal V, Brown M. Polit. Policy 2010; 38(2): 175-192.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Policy Studies Organization (USA), Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00234.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In this article we take advantage of newly available data provided by WomanStats to suggest (1) a quantifiable approach to scaling the prevalence of interpersonal violence; and (2) a model of those factors that account for different levels of interpersonal violence cross-nationally. We specifically draw from the human rights literature to determine which economic, cultural, and political factors explain different levels of interpersonal violence globally today. We find that increasing levels of democracy has a dampening effect on interpersonal violence, while increasing levels of economic inequality increases interpersonal violence levels. However, other common explanatory factors, notably women's empowerment through workforce and political inclusion, and various cultural factors show little to no effect.