Violencia psicológica y dependencia emocional en la pareja: control y sumisión en jóvenes universitarias

Psychological violence in intimate relationships, especially among young people and adolescents, is a growing psychosocial phenomenon that is difficult to detect in emerging relationships. Women are particularly vulnerable, and emotional dependence—seen as a psychological dimension—acts as a factor that perpetuates the cycle of abuse. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between psychological gender violence and emotional dependence in 367 university women, aged 20 to 35, from the Technical University of Manabí, Ecuador, during the year 2024. A mixed methodological design was used, with a descriptive and correlational approach. Two highly reliable instruments were applied: the Emotional Dependence Inventory (IDE), developed in Peru (α = 0.965), and the Female Perception of Psychological Violence Scale (VEC), designed in Spain (α = 0.952). The results revealed that 24% of the participants had experienced psychological violence, with "sexual pressure and neglect" being the most frequent dimension. Furthermore, 49.59% presented high levels of emotional dependence. A weak but significant correlation was found between the two variables (rho = 0.103; p = 0.048). It is concluded that emotional dependence increases vulnerability to violence, so the implementation of preventive interventions in university settings is recommended