Explicit and Implicit Legitimization of Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Study with Adolescents

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a pervasive social problem, particularly during adolescence, when gender norms and relationship expectations are still developing. This pilot study examined Italian adolescents’ explicit and implicit attitudes toward IPV, comparing responses to male- and female-perpetrated violence. Explicit attitudes were assessed through self-report measures, while implicit biases were measured using an adapted Implicit Association Test (IAT). At the explicit level, male victims were blamed more than female victims, suggesting greater legitimization of female-perpetrated violence and reflecting gendered expectations about masculinity. No gender differences emerged in the dehumanization of the perpetrators. At the implicit level, results indicated a mild tendency to legitimize female-perpetrated IPV more than male-perpetrated IPV. Benevolent sexism was negatively associated with implicit legitimization of female-perpetrated violence and positively associated with denial of human uniqueness in perpetrators. Although preliminary, these findings highlight gender asymmetries in adolescents’ evaluations of IPV and underscore the importance of integrating explicit and implicit measures in prevention efforts targeting gender norms and victim recognition.