This qualitative study examines Jordan’s Gender-based violence (GBV) perpetrators’ motivations, psychosocial backgrounds, and early-life experiences through semi-structured interviews with 12 survivors and 9 social workers from the Institute for Family Health (IFH), guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Findings reveal a gap in services for perpetrators. Intergenerational violence, rigid gender norms, economic stress, and familial influences emerged as drivers of abuse. Further exacerbated in instances of child-marriage and significant age-gaps between spouses. Men’s reluctance to seek help is attributed to denial, stigma, and economic constraints. Social workers highlighted the need for enhanced skills, including empathy, communication, cultural competence, and self-care practices, but faced organisational challenges including lack of supervision and networks of organisations for referrals. Holistic approaches targeting individual behaviours, familial influences, and societal norms are required. Recommendations include tailored and online interventions for perpetrators, addressing economic factors, and outreach efforts. Empowering social workers with specialised training, supervision, and strengthened organisational support, including a comprehensive database is recommended.
Jarrar et al. (Thu,) studied this question.