SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 18th June (EUROPA PRESS) –
A staggering two-thirds of young women in the Canary Islands claim to have faced gender violence at the hands of their current or former partners, with one in three experiencing such violence from their current partner specifically. Additionally, 25% of women in this demographic state they have endured physical violence from past partners, while 20% have experienced sexual violence. In settings beyond relationships, one in three women report having encountered gender violence within educational and work environments.
These findings stem from the report ‘Identity configurations under complex realities: Youth and violence against women’, which was presented by the Social Innovation Laboratory at the University of La Laguna and is now accessible for review on the institution’s website. The study delves into the specific challenges faced by the young and adolescent population in the Canary Islands, emphasising their struggle for recognition, which hampers the development of effective policies to address this issue comprehensively.
When it comes to awareness of this issue, young individuals exhibit a lower tolerance towards attitudes that perpetuate sexist violence, with those aligning with feminist ideologies being more adept at identifying behaviours that could manifest into aggression against women. The research further establishes a link between consumption of pornography and higher acceptance of psychological and particularly sexual violence.
In terms of the male demographic, 10% of young men in the Canary Islands either have been informed or are conscious that they have engaged in gender violence, yet a concerning 60% of this group fail to take actions to amend their violent conduct towards women.
The study was conducted through 4,502 telephone interviews in November 2023 with individuals aged 18 to 30 in the Canary Islands, comprising 50.42% male and 49.58% female respondents. This methodology ensured a robust and representative sample, allowing for efficient and anonymous data collection.
This research falls under the State Pact against Gender Violence, supported by a grant from the General Directorate of Youth of the Government of the Canary Islands. The study was led by Josué Gutiérrez Barroso, a professor and researcher at the University of La Laguna; Mónica Dios Rodríguez and Elisa J. Pérez Rosales, director and researcher of the Social Innovation Laboratory, respectively; along with sociology professionals such as Ana G. Padrón Armas, J. Vianney Trujillo González, and Elena Crespo García.
The full study will soon be accessible on the General Directorate of Youth of the Government of the Canary Islands website. Additionally, a summarised version supported by graphic facilitation will be provided, presenting key findings in a simple and concise manner for enhanced comprehension. This initiative underscores the Social Innovation Laboratory’s commitment at the University of La Laguna to the dissemination and democratisation of knowledge.
