One Third of Young German Men Find Violence Against Women Acceptable

One-third of young men in Germany believe it is acceptable to use violence against women, according to a new survey commissioned by children’s charity Plan International Germany.

The study, published in the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (a German newspaper), asked 1,000 men and 1,000 women aged 18-35 from across Germany about their views on masculinity.

Of the men surveyed, 34 per cent admitted to being violent toward their female partner in the past to “instill respect in them,” according to CNN. Meanwhile, 33 per cent said they thought it was acceptable if their “hand slipped” during an argument with their partner.

Traditional gender roles preferred by men

The survey explored attitudes toward relationships and gender roles beyond violence. Fifty per cent of men said they would not want a relationship with a woman who had many sexual partners, while 20 per cent of the women interviewed agreed with this statement.

Expectations within relationships differed greatly between men and women. Over half of men — 52 per cent — wanted a traditional “breadwinner-housewife model,” where they earned most of the money for the household and childcare and household tasks were primarily the woman’s role. However, over two-thirds of women disagreed, wanting equal partnerships and shared decision-making.

The survey found that 48 per cent of respondents expressed a dislike for public displays of homosexuality, saying they felt “disturbed” by it.

Advocacy groups condemn findings

Gender equality campaigners condemned the findings. The Federal Organization for Equality wrote on Twitter that the results were “shocking.”

“It’s problematic that a third of the surveyed men trivialize physical violence against women,” said Karsten Kassner from Federal Forum Men, a group which advocates for gender equality.

Context of violence in Germany

According to data from Germany’s Federal Criminal Police, 115,000 women in Germany were victims of partner violence in 2021. The country has one of the highest rates of femicide (the killing of women) in Europe — a problem which was exacerbated during the coronavirus pandemic.

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