Metaphors Used by Male Batterers in Cases of Gender-Based Violence: A Look at Canadian and Spanish Newspapers

This article explores metaphors used by male batterers in cases of gender-based violence reported in Spanish and Canadian newspapers. It analyzes the most common metaphoric representations of female victims in episodes of gender-based violence documented in newspaper articles in Spain and Canada from 2012 to 2022. The research shows how images of objects, garbage, animals, mental impairment, and prostitution articulate discourses of gender-based violence and how the male perpetrator sees the abused woman through these lenses to dehumanize, exert, and even justify his violent actions.