ABSTRACT
So far in this book, we have looked at the stigma surrounding intimate partner violence primarily at the individual and relational levels, focusing on how perpetrators convey stigma, how victims and survivors internalize it, and how friends, family members, and professionals respond to victims and survivors in stigmatizing ways. We can’t ignore the fact that all of these aspects of stigma occur within societal contexts, and in this chapter, we turn our attention to the ways that the stigma surrounding intimate partner violence is perpetuated at a societal level. At the current time, it isn’t possible to tease apart fully the complex interplays among society, relationships, and individuals with regard to the stigma surrounding intimate partner violence. It may never be possible to tease apart fully how societal stigma influences individuals as well as how stigma at the individual and relationship levels influences societal stigma. Most likely, these influences go both directions: stigma at the societal level impacts individuals, and stigmatizing beliefs that individuals hold contribute to the perpetuation of stigma in society.
