Violence Against Women in Spanish Prisons: A Socio-Educational Analysis from a Sustainable Development Perspective

This study analyses gender-based violence across the life courses of women serving prison sentences in Spain, adopting a socio-educational and gender-based approach grounded in social sustainability. It is a quantitative, descriptive, and interpretative study of a sample of 310 women in semi-liberty from 31 prisons, using semi-structured questionnaires. The study identifies the presence of different forms of intimate partner abuse and examines their relationship to several variables. The results show that 47.44% of the women have experienced some form of abuse, a higher percentage than the national average. Having a stable partner, having been employed prior to imprisonment, and participating in educational activities, daily life skills programmes, and socio-educational or gender-focused interventions are associated with a lower prevalence of abuse. Substance addictions and having received disciplinary sanctions, in contrast, are associated with greater exposure to violence, while motherhood and recidivism show no significant association. These findings reveal the presence of structural and sociocultural violence and highlight the need for coherent prison policies, development of quality education, gender equality, and actions to improve coexistence and social justice by promoting social reintegration and advancing social sustainability through the prevention of violence and social exclusion.