By focusing on sexual violence as a central part of intimate partner violence (IPV), this chapter elucidates the gender dimension of IPV. Through a meetingbetween normative understandings of ethical sexual relations and women’s experiences, atypology is developed to conceptualize and deepen the understanding of sexual violencein intimate relations. Theories that conceptualize sexual violence in other contexts andrelationships proved helpful in understanding IPV as a gendered phenomenon.