ABSTRACT
Our culture of violence is an heir of the chauvinistic hegemony that aimed for order in households and society through so many generations. Paying attention to questions related to gender in understanding experiences and fears of those who are at risk of experiencing violence, as well as of perpetrators and victims, increases the quality of the help that can be provided. An experience of violence leaves deep wounds and can smash a person's identity. Gender-based violence is a global and timeless problem that European culture helps to replicate. Examining the intimate-partner violence and sexual violence helps us better to comprehend the mechanisms and needs for change related to these phenomena. Our growing and diversifying understanding of the specific nature of gender-based violence gives us a special responsibility – and a great potential to break down structures of violence.
