Intimate Partner Violence and the Business Cycle

38 Pages Posted: 29 Jan 2018 Last revised: 16 Apr 2023

See all articles by Sonia R. Bhalotra

Sonia R. Bhalotra

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Uma S. Kambhampati

University of Reading - Department of Economics

Samantha Rawlings

University of Bristol

Zahra Siddique

University of Reading; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Abstract

We examine the impact of business cycle variation on intimate partner violence using representative data from thirty one developing countries, through 2005 to 2016. We distinguish male from female unemployment rates, identifying the influence of each conditional upon the other. We find that a one percent increase in the male unemployment rate increases the incidence of physical violence against women by 0.50 percentage points, or 2.75 percent. This is consistent with the financial and psychological stress generated by unemployment. Increases in female unemployment rates (corresponding to decreases in women's employment opportunities), conditional upon rates of male unemployment reduce the incidence of violence; a one percent increase being associated with a decrease in the probability of victimization of 0.52 percentage points, or 2.87 percent. This is consistent with 'male backlash'. These patterns of behaviour are stronger among better educated women and weaker among women who have had at least one son.

Keywords: intimate partner violence, women's labour force participation

JEL Classification: D19, J11, J12

Suggested Citation

Bhalotra, Sonia R. and Kambhampati, Uma S. and Rawlings, Samantha and Siddique, Zahra, Intimate Partner Violence and the Business Cycle. IZA Discussion Paper No. 11274, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3111147 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3111147

Sonia R. Bhalotra (Contact Author)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Uma S. Kambhampati

University of Reading - Department of Economics ( email )

Reading, RG6 6AA
United Kingdom
+118 987 5123 (Phone)
+011 897 5236 (Fax)

Samantha Rawlings

University of Bristol ( email )

University of Bristol,
Senate House, Tyndall Avenue
Bristol, Avon BS8 ITH
United Kingdom

Zahra Siddique

University of Reading ( email )

Whiteknights
Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AH
United Kingdom

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

Schaumburg Lippe Str. 5-9
Bonn, 53113
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.iza.org/profile?key=4394

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