The purpose of the present study was to examine the etiology of gender violence using the Bioecological Theory of Human Development. Such approach considers gender violence as a multidimensional phenomenon grounded in an interrelationship among several factors. Thus, this model is an heuristic tool that organizes several factors into four levels: personal (biological and psychological characteristics), processing (interpersonal interaction), contextual (social support network, community, and culture), and temporal (intra-, inter-, and trans-generational). The authors suggest that the proposed model is a useful tool for guiding future research studies and interventions.
Gender violence; domestic violence; violence against women; human development