Teaching Degree Programs and Recognition of Gender-Based Violence Within the Couple: An Interinstitutional Comparison Between UEx and ESELx

A recognition gap may arise when experiences of gender-based violence in young couples are not identified through a general category, even though they are acknowledged once specific behaviors are presented. This study examines female victimization, male perpetration, the recognition gap between generic and behavior-specific questions, and awareness of cases in the immediate environment. A quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative study included 473 students in educational and socio-educational degree programs at the Universidad de Extremadura (n = 261) and the Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa (n = 212), using the previously validated CEVIJU-VCMPH questionnaire. Descriptive analyses, Cohen’s kappa, and exact tests were used. When assessed after the presentation of 27 specific behaviors, acknowledged victimization was 37.8% at the first institution and 35.0% at the second, compared with 23.8% and 21.8%, respectively, on the prior generic question; 58 women showed the underreporting pattern (14.9% of women; 40.8% of those acknowledging a specific behavior). Agreement was substantial but asymmetric (p < 0.001 at both institutions). Control and surveillance behaviors predominated, with substantial sexual coercion; self-reported perpetration was low and exploratory. Awareness of victims was greater among women at the Universidad de Extremadura. Generic and specific questions capture related but non-equivalent dimensions of recognition, identifying their combined use and university training as priorities for future evaluation.