A report by the Social Observatory of the La Caixa Foundation led by Noemí Pereda, Marta Codina and Diego A. Díaz-Faes, researchers at the University of Barcelona, has revealed that 10, 1% of adolescents have been victims of controlling behaviours in relationships. The research article “Intimate partner violence among adolescent relationships” defines controlling violence as behaviours in which a person limits their partner's relationship with their friends, prevents them from meeting other people or checks their mobile phone, among other behaviours.

The report, which includes data from a previous study to be presented soon, also reveals that girls aged 14-17 report more victimisation by controlling violence than boys. Thus, 13.3% of young women feel subjected to this type of coercion in their relationships, compared to 7.1% of young men.

Noemí Pereda, co-author of the study, says: “The rate of control behaviours obtained in the study is very similar to that found in previous Spanish studies and even in other European studies. These behaviours affect 1 in 10 young people in Spain. This form of violence, linked to controlling behaviours, is related to a traditional and patriarchal vision of what ‘romantic’ love is supposed to be, a model of relationship in which control is interpreted as interest and respect for the partner”. 

Read more