Gender Differences in the Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence.

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) has traditionally centered on women, as they are disproportionately the victims of this crime. Men's experiences as victims of IPV are often disregarded. Critics of this oversight have suggested that men are just as likely to be victimized by their partners as women - a phenomenon known as "gender symmetry." The gender symmetry argument has sparked heated debates in the literature from a range of scholars who argue the importance of considering the nature and context of the violence. This paper contributes to this area of study by comparing the correlates of men's and women's police reporting behaviours. Reporting IPV to the police is one way that victims can access support services and involve themselves in formal justice systems. This paper uses data from the Canadian General Social Survey (Statistics Canada, 1999) to examine gender differences in the reporting of IPV. Results illustrate important differences in the correlates of reporting behaviours. Particularly, the effect of severity of violence on the decision to report a violent incident is substantially higher for men than women. These findings reinforce the need to develop research that considers how men and women experience this crime differently. Such research is necessary in order to develop victim assistance programs that address victim needs appropriately. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]