Talking about ‘victims’, ‘survivors’ and ‘battered women’: how labels affect the perception of women who have experienced intimate partner violence (‘Víctimas’, ‘supervivientes’ y ‘mujeres maltratadas’: cómo influyen las etiquetas en la percepción de las mujeres que han sufrido violencia por parte de sus parejas)

Abstract

Two studies addressed effects of the labels ‘victim’, ‘battered woman’ and ‘survivor’ on the perception of women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Spanish undergraduates provided free associations (Study 1; N = 54) and completed semantic differentials (Study 2; N = 142) regarding the labels. Results showed that the term ‘survivor’ evoked more positive associations and ratings than both ‘victim’ and ‘battered woman’, which did not differ from each other. At the same time, however, when asked directly, participants rated ‘survivor’ as the least appropriate term. These seemingly opposing findings replicate research on the terms’ use in sexual aggression. Results were independent of individuals’ acceptance of myths about IPV or knowing a woman who has experienced IPV. Implications for the use of specific language when communicating about IPV are discussed.