Abusive Partners Research Articles

Fighting for Justice for Women who Kill Abusive Partners

This article examines the collaborative process involved in campaigning for and representing women appealing murder convictions, highlighting the power of positive collaboration between lawyers, campaigners, frontline experts and the women themselves. Pragna Patel and Harriet Wistrich, who first met while protesting in the early 1990s outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, have been pivotal figures in this movement. Patel has dedicated four decades to Southall Black Sisters, an organisation advocating for black and minority women. Wistrich co-founded Justice for Women and later specialised in representing women victim-survivors of male violence, challenging discrimination in the criminal justice system. Their collaboration has led to significant precedent-setting murder appeals and reforms in domestic homicide law. This article reflects on their enduring involvement spanning three decades, detailing their efforts in individual cases and legislative reforms. Their approach focuses on obtaining detailed personal accounts from women and building legal strategies around them, aiming to challenge convictions through a feminist lens. Recently, their collaborative efforts prompted the United Kingdom government to commission the Law Commission to review defences in cases of homicide. This underscores their enduring impact in fighting for justice for women who kill their abusive partners and effecting legal change.

Choice of Communication Channel for Dyadic Relationship Dissolution Processes in Abusive and Non-Abusive Relationships

Abstract: This study employs an affordances and multiple goals approach to explore channel choices in the initiation of dyadic relationship dissolution processes. In an experiment, participants imagined breaking up with an abusive romantic partner, breaking up with a nonabusive partner, or not breaking up. Then they indicated their likelihood of using various channels (i.e., face-to-face conversation, texting, social media, voice call, and video call) to communicate with their partner, responded to perceived social affordances measures for each channel, and provided insights in an open-ended prompt. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. Results reveal that face-to-face communication is often preferred for dyadic relational dissolution processes, as bandwidth, social presence, and a lack of accessibility can convey a sense of seriousness and respect for the non-initiator while preventing miscommunication. However, mediated channels offer protection from emotional manipulation (for abusive relationships), physical violence (for abusive relationships), and awkward situations (for nonabusive relationships) thanks to their unique combinations of affordances.

Antecedents, Characteristics, and Dynamics of IPV in the Israeli Jewish Ultra-Orthodox Community: A Cultural Exploration

Abstract Purpose This qualitative study explored Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the Israeli Jewish Ultra-Orthodox (JUO) community to better understand the cultural and religious risk factors and features underlying IPV in this under-researched sector. Method Semi-structured interviews implementing the Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interviews approach were conducted with 15 JUO women currently living with or separated/divorced from their abusive partners who were victims of IPV. The interviews were analyzed using the Interpretive Phenomenological approach. Results Two key themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme involves the normalization and exacerbation of violence due to specific religious and societal norms that perpetuate silence and stigma. Factors such as early marriage, religious beliefs about the sanctity of marriage, disadvantaged childhood experiences, and distorted religious justifications contributed to the victims’ vulnerability and hindered their ability to seek help. The second theme is related to the specific features of the abuse. It covers a range of tactics employed by husbands, including financial oppression, social isolation, physical violence, and manipulation during pregnancy, all based on and justified by distorted religious concepts. Conclusions Though aspects of intergenerational abuse and control tactics to aggravate violence are common universal strategies in IPV, the findings here underscore the interplay between religious practices and societal expectations within the JUO community that contribute to the perpetration and perpetuation of IPV. These findings contribute to a better understanding of IPV in religious and traditional contexts and highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to address the needs of specific collectivistic and religious-based societies.

Safety Is Just the First Step: Implementing a Holistic, Survivor-Centered Program Model for Rural Partner Abuse Survivors

When domestic violence first became recognized as a social problem, services (e.g., hotlines, medical accompaniment, and emergency shelters) focused largely on meeting victims’ needs during crisis. Research documenting the process survivors go through to end abusive relationships and to establish a new, safe life shows that the challenges they face go well beyond the initial crisis. In contrast to standard practices, the Chesapeake Crisis to Self-Sufficiency Model (CCSSM) provides a continuum of holistic, survivor-centered services to support the transition from crisis to self-sufficiency. Staff interviews reveal that the CCSSM grew out of recognizing clients’ needs postcrisis. Establishing service continuums in critical areas such as housing, legal assistance, and economic empowerment creates customizable pathways for clients to follow. Administrative data for 464 survivors receiving services under the traditional model and 607 served under the CCSSM show that the CCSSM cohort worked with the agency for significantly more months and received a broader array of services. These data suggest that the comprehensive service model provides survivors with much needed services beyond the initial crisis and may ultimately increase their chances of leaving an abusive relationship. Future research should explore if the CCSSM leads to increased survivor safety and movement toward self-sufficiency and if the model decreases the odds that survivors will return to an abusive partner.

Identifying Evidentiary Checkpoints and Strategies to Support Successful Acquittals for Women who Kill an Abusive Partner During a Violent Confrontation

This study examined 32 Australian cases of women prosecuted for killing their abusive male partners in self-defence between 2010 and 2023. The objective was to track the legal pathways and identify salient factors influencing both acquittals and convictions. While most women received a manslaughter conviction by pleading guilty, nearly all cases that proceeded to trial resulted in no conviction. Key findings include: the utility of partial defences as a safety net for self-defence; evidence of overcharging; the identification of “evidentiary checkpoints” at trial to downgrade or withdraw murder charges; a checklist for legal counsel advising clients on the risks of trial; the advantage of private legal counsel in successful self-defence claims; and the systemic disadvantage of Indigenous women, highlighting the need for continued research. These findings underscore the intricate dynamics within the legal system when addressing cases of intimate partner violence, emphasising the need for comprehensive reforms and support structures.

CUMULATIVE PROVOCATION IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND ENGLAND AND WALES

Background and Purpose: In Malaysia, there is no specific defence for female victims of domestic violence who in the unfortunate event killed their abusive partners due to provocation. In this instance, they can raise the defence of provocation as expressly stated in Exception 1 to section 300 of the Penal Code (Exception 1). Since the defence was not formulated specifically in the context of domestic violence, the application of the defence may not be able to appreciate the uniqueness of female victims of domestic violence. One notable issue is that of cumulative provocation. Exception 1 is silent as to the legal status of cumulative provocation. However, there have been cases where the accused raised cumulative provocation as a defence against the offence of murder. The research therefore, aims to analyse the legal position of cumulative provocation in Malaysia. Methodology: This research employed a doctrinal legal research approach, conducting a thorough analysis of relevant laws, including the Penal Code (Act 574), Homicide Act 1957 (HA 1957), and the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (CJA 2009). In addition to statutory analysis, an examination of case law was undertaken to gain insights into the court’s interpretation of the legal status of cumulative provocation. Furthermore, scholarly writings in this field were examined to provide a thorough understanding of the subject. Findings: The decisions of the Federal Court’s cases of Che Omar bin Che Akhir v Public Prosecutor [2007] 4 MLJ 309 and Public Prosecutor v Surbir Gole [2017] 2 CLJ 621 show that cumulative provocation does not fall under Exception 1. This might lead the court to look only at the events that took place immediately before the killing as a single act. This can lead to a perception that the accused’s response, including female victims of domestic violence to provocation is not sufficiently grave. Hence, it is proposed that the cumulative provocation is given statutory recognition under Exception 1 which allows the circumstances of the accused to be taken into account by the court in deciding the defence of provocation. Contributions: This research contributes to the corpus of legal knowledge on cumulative provocation in domestic violence against women within the legal framework of the criminal justice system. Keywords: Provocation, murder, cumulative provocation, defence & penal code. Cite as: Mohd Safri M. N., Ramalinggam, R., Rohaida, N., Abang Ikhbal, A. B., Nur Hafidah, A. K., & Ashran, I. (2024). Cumulative provocation in domestic violence against women: A comparative analysis between Malaysia and England and Wales. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 9(2), 318-339. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp318-339

The Dynamics of Abusive Relationships

Abstract Domestic abuse encompasses a range of damaging behaviors beyond physical violence, including economic and emotional abuse. We analyze the impact of cohabiting with an abusive partner on victims’ economic outcomes. In so doing, we highlight the systematic role of economic suppression in such relationships. Using Finnish administrative data and a matched-control event-study design, along with a within-individual comparison of outcomes across relationships, we document three new facts. First, women who begin relationships with (eventually) physically abusive men suffer large and significant earnings and employment falls immediately upon cohabiting with the abusive partner. Second, the decline in economic outcomes is non-monotonic in women’s pre-cohabitation outside options. Third, men who are violent against women in any capacity impose economic costs on all their female partners, even those who do not report physical violence. To rationalize these findings, we develop a new dynamic model of abusive relationships where women do not perfectly observe their partner’s type, and abusive men have an incentive to use economic suppression to sabotage women’s outside options and their ability to later exit the relationship.

Women Who Kill Their Abusive Intimate Partners in Non-Confrontational Circumstances - The Need for German Criminal Law Reform

Women Who Kill Their Abusive Intimate Partners in Non-Confrontational Circumstances - The Need for German Criminal Law Reform

Defending Primary Victims Who Face Criminal Charges for the Use of Defensive Force against Their Abusive Partners: Attempting to Change ‘Laws’ Practices’

Australian lawyers, scholars and policy makers have grappled for decades with the barriers faced by victim-survivors in successfully raising self-defence in response to criminal charges for the use of force against their abusive partners. In this article we discuss a recent legal innovation developed to address similar barriers in the New Zealand context. The defence in R v Ruddelle was ground-breaking in Australasia in that expert evidence on ‘intimate partner violence entrapment’ was admitted at trial from an expert who was not a psychologist or psychiatrist. The aim was to assist the jury in more accurately understanding the facts for the purposes of determining whether the Indigenous defendant’s defensive force was ‘reasonable’ in self-defence. Similar evidence was provided at sentencing. In this article we assess the gains that were made in taking such an approach at sentencing, as well as the limitations of this strategy at trial in this particular case.

Un fattore esogeno nelle controversie di famiglia: analisi comparata dell’improprio richiamo alla PAS tra Italia e UK

A comparative analysis of the misuse of PAS between Italy and the United Kingdom: an exogenous factor within family law disputes ABSTRACT: This paper aims to elucidate the dynamics and strategies employed by abusive individuals who exploit gender stereotypes to manipulate the justice system in their favor. Increasingly, courts are unable to adequately protect victims of domestic violence due to the erroneous reliance on counteraccusations of parental alienation, which are artfully raised by former abusive partners. These allegations are unfounded in law and scientifically disproven, yet they are held in enormous esteem by the judiciary. Instead, the courts should be reminded of the careful balancing of opposing interests that arise in the context of family law proceedings. This should be done without disregarding the examination of the concrete case and the overriding interest of protecting the offspring. SOMMARIO: 1. PAS e DARVO: dinamiche e strategie tipiche dei procedimenti di diritto di famiglia - 2. Discriminazione di genere nelle controversie famigliari - 3. La censura della PAS da parte di Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità e Nazioni Unite - 4. L’overruling della PAS nelle corti della Family Division dell'Alta Corte di Inghilterra e Galles - 5. Il rigetto della PAS nella recente giurisprudenza italiana - 6. Conclusioni.

Keeping Safe Together: A Brief Report on Children’s Experiences of One ‘All of Family’ Domestic Violence Intervention Program in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract Purpose To develop a response to an identified service gap for domestic violence (DV) victim-survivors who are living with their abusive partner and have children in their care, Keeping Safe Together (KST) was designed as an ‘all of family’ program and piloted over 18-months in Victoria, Australia. The purpose of this brief report is to explore how children had experienced the KST program, and what, if any, changes to their safety and situations they experienced because of the program. Methods Interviews were conducted with eight children engaged in the program alongside their family members. Thematic analysis of the data was undertaken to draw out themes. Results The children were aware of the impact of the violence and conflict on their families. They demonstrated strong empathy for their family members’ wellbeing, and a desire for change. The children saw the KST program as having a positive impact on their own and their families’ safety and circumstances, particularly in terms of reducing their fathers’ abusive behaviors. The program supported them to increase their own sense of control, happiness, and development of coping strategies. Conclusions The findings indicate that the program met a significant support gap and improved the lives of children in this sample who were living with fathers using violence against their mothers. Further trial and evaluation of ‘all of family’ programs such as KST is needed to build the evidence base on their effectiveness for children.

Arrest Web Entanglement: Female Domestic Violence Survivors' Experiences with Police Intervention and Coercively Controlling Male Partners.

Although U.S.-based mandatory and preferred arrest laws and policies were created to promote domestic violence survivors' safety, at times they have contributed to the wrongful arrest of women defending themselves against their abusive partners. While these laws and policies are the subject of broad critique, less considered are domestic violence survivors' descriptions of the events that unfold after police officers respond to a domestic violence incident and before they make an arrest. This is an important area of inquiry as these events may highlight how the circumstances leading to wrongful arrest decisions are more complex than the laws and policies alone. Data from the present study came from the author's larger in-depth qualitative investigation of 33 cisgender women's descriptions of their legal and child protection systems involvement. The women were recruited from an antiviolence intervention agency receiving referrals from communities with mandatory and preferred laws and policies. The women had agency contact due to their use of force or alleged use of force. The respondents were diverse across race, age, class, ability, U.S. citizenship status, and sexual identity. The author analyzed the 33 women's 51 interview transcripts and extensive fieldnotes using rigorous iterative analysis and constructivist grounded theory. The analysis revealed that seven of the 33 women, all of whom identified domestic and sexual violence survivorship histories, described a patterned series of events that unfolded after the police arrived at the domestic violence incident and before the police made an arrest. In this study, the author details three of the seven women's stories to demonstrate how a series of events, including police prearrest questioning and their coercively controlling male partners' tactics, facilitated the women's entanglement in what the author refers to as an "arrest web." Their incremental disentanglement from the arrest's impact is also explored. Broad system-focused implications are discussed.

Female perpetrators in intimate partner violence: perverse safe havens

This article considers the often-neglected role of women as intimate partner terror-ists within relationships and explores the ways that female aggression is manifested through psychological as well as physical means of intimidation. Using anonymised clinical material, the author discusses the development of toxic dynamics within an intimate partnership, the pathways through which early traumatic experience creates later destructive re-enactments and how forensic psychotherapy can be undertaken successfully, highlighting the pitfalls. The role of animal cruelty in abusive intimate partner relationships is discussed, with reference to the link between animal abuse and domestic abuse. The function of these violent destructive dynamics to serve as “perverse safe havens” within couples and the wider family systems is outlined. These entrenched dynamics maintain dysfunctional and abusive relation-ships but the harm they inflict is manifold and when breaking point is reached, foren-sic psychotherapy can enable essential changes to occur, as the clinical example demonstrates.

Abusive Partner Perspectives on Technology Abuse: Implications for Community-based Violence Prevention

Inaccurate assumptions about people who abuse technology can inhibit effective socio-technical interventions for at-risk populations, including IPV survivors. Our study aims to rectify this concerning oversight through a synthesis of seven research projects on how 152 abusive partners (APs) discuss and understand their malicious use of technology in face-to-face interactions. AP accounts about technology abuse are rich sources of insight into technology abuse, but demonstrate a heterogeneity of awareness of, choice to use, and ability to desist from participating in technology abuse. To ensure immediate practical benefits for practitioner communities, we also engaged 20 facilitators of abusive partner intervention programs (APIPs) in focused group discussions to identify potential solutions for addressing technology abuse in their programming. Findings reveal that facilitators grapple with a complex set of challenges, stemming from the concern about teaching APs new abusive techniques in-session, and lacking professional tools to investigate, evaluate, and resolve technology abuse attacks. Our work provides valuable insights into addressing technology abuse in the APIP ecosystem, offering targeted lessons for the CSCW community and stakeholders in violence prevention.

Pathways to Resistance: Theorizing Trauma and Women's Use of Force in Intimate Relationships.

Using a feminist pathways general strain perspective, we explore the victim-offender continuum for women who perpetrated intimate partner violence/abuse (IPV/A). We use data from 86 women court-mandated to "female offender" domestic violence treatment programs, located in an American East Coast state, who were surveyed about their adverse childhood experiences and mental health/well-being as adults. Findings from bivariate linear regressions indicate childhood trauma negatively affects adult mental health/well-being, exacerbated for Black Indigenous People of Color women, suggesting a victim rather than an offender categorization for women using force against their abusive partner. Results imply the need to consider women's traumatic histories and IPV/A victimization, given an incident-driven system that criminalizes victimization over the life course.

“So that’s why I found PrEP to be safest way to protect yourself”: exploring IPV experiences and impact on HIV prevention among pregnant and postpartum women in Cape Town, South Africa

Intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs at alarmingly high rates towards pregnant women in South Africa. Experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual IPV in pregnancy can adversely impact the health and safety of mother and fetus. Furthermore, IPV is associated with increased risk of HIV, exacerbating the public health impact of violence among pregnant women in this HIV endemic setting. In-depth understanding of cultural and contextual drivers of experiences of IPV is a critical precursor to development of interventions effectively addressing this issue among pregnant women in South Africa. The present study examines factors contributing to IPV among pregnant women to identify potential points of intervention. We conducted twenty in-depth interviews with postpartum women who used oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in pregnancy and reported recent experiences of IPV and/or ongoing alcohol use in a township near Cape Town, South Africa that experiences a heavy burden of both HIV and IPV. Interpretive thematic analysis was used. Several patterns of IPV during pregnancy were identified and violence was frequently described as co-occurring with male partner alcohol use. A majority of women referenced oral PrEP as their preferred method for HIV prevention, highlighting the agency and discretion it provided as beneficial attributes for women experiencing IPV. Fear of judgement from peers for remaining with an abusive partner and a lack of clear community messaging around IPV were identified as barriers to disclosure and support-seeking. Addressing the lack of social support received by women experiencing IPV during pregnancy in South Africa is essential to comprehensive IPV programming.

‘It’s so Beneficial to be Able to Stop the Cycle’: Perceptions of Intergenerational Transmission of Violence and Parenting Practices Among Pregnant Women and their Abusive Partners

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to explore how pregnant women who experience Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) and men who commit DVA understand the impact of their childhood environment on their relationships with their children and co-parents, and how a DVA psychological intervention may shape their parenting. Methods Repeated individual qualitative interviews were conducted with pregnant mothers and fathers who reported DVA and were taking part in a psychological intervention to address DVA. Interviews were carried out at the start (during pregnancy) and end of the intervention (two years post-childbirth). Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse interviews. Results 56 interviews (26 mothers; 13 fathers) were analysed. Five themes were identified: (1) Acknowledging childhood experiences of DVA; (2) The scars of traumatic experiences; (3) Challenging the silencing of abuse; (4) The transmission of parenting styles and behaviours from one generation to another; (5) Becoming the best parent one can be. The intergenerational transmission of violence was identifiable in most narratives. Despite this, several participants described skills they acquired during the intervention (e.g., emotional regulation strategies) as assisting in interrupting violence and improving their relationships with their children. Conclusions Participants who acknowledged having encountered childhood abuse recognised it as one of several risk factors for DVA in adulthood. They also discussed the potential for trauma-informed interventions to address the intergenerational transmission of violence and poor parenting practices.

Adultification in the context of childhood exposure to domestic violence

AbstractObjectiveDrawing upon family systems theory, Burton's childhood adultification model, and Johnson's typology of domestic violence (DV), the objective of this qualitative study was to understand the adultification experiences of young adults who were exposed to DV while growing up.BackgroundExposure to DV negatively impacts familial dynamics, disrupting healthy boundaries between caregivers and children. Often associated with families experiencing poverty, adultification is a type of boundary infringement that places children in adult‐like roles to execute essential family tasks with potentially dangerous and developmentally harmful effects. A growing body of literature documents how youth are agentic in navigating their family dynamics and how abusive partners use children as abuse tools. However, adultification in a DV context remains understudied.MethodUsing a qualitative study design, the research team interviewed 23 college‐attending young adults with father‐mother‐perpetrated DV exposure histories who resided in the Southeastern United States. The qualitative data were analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis.FindingsWe identified five distinct yet interrelated ways in which young adults with DV exposure histories experienced adultification: intervening to protect mothers from violence, serving as mothers' emotional support system, shielding siblings from violence and conflict, caring for siblings' daily needs, and managing parents' health and well‐being. The young adults categorized as exposed to coercive controlling violence described more extensive adultification.ConclusionCentering adultification in the context of family violence provides a lens through which researchers, practitioners, and other professionals can understand how DV impacts family dynamics, including adultified children.

“That was terrifying!”: when 2SLGBTQQ+ individuals and rural women experiencing intimate partner violence are stalked

<sec><title>Background</title><p>Stalking reflects a lesser-studied form of intimate partner violence (IPV; e.g., physical abuse) that may occur pre- and postseparation between two or more partners, incurring lifelong pervasive health impacts on those involved. Intersectionality theory elucidates how Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQQIA+) individuals' and rural women's identities are oppressed by society, thus subjecting them to unique IPV experiences. Therefore, this study aims to explore how stalking manifests among 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals and women living rurally with lived experiences, both of which are underrepresented groups in current stalking literature.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>We used secondary data from two IPV studies conducted among 2SLGBTQQ+ (no intersex or asexual participants) individuals and rural women (n = 29). We interviewed 2SLGBTQQ+ (n = 18) and rural women (n = 11) who resided in Alberta, Canada and experienced IPV via semi-structured, qualitative approaches. A thematic analysis was guided by intersectionality theory to analyze the data, applying inductive and semantic approaches.</p></sec><sec><title>Findings</title><p>Of the 29 participants, 15 were stalked by their abusive partners and 9 reported on the negative impacts of being stalked. Rural women and 2SLGBTQQ+ individuals were mainly stalked via physical forms of stalking and cyberstalking, respectively. We describe other forms of stalking and the ineffectiveness of legal systems in those seeking support for stalking. The impacts of stalking (e.g., hypervigilance) were so profound that the feeling of being stalked persisted, which we termed phantom stalking.</p></sec><sec><title>Significance</title><p>2SLGBTQQ+ individuals predominantly experienced stalking through technology and rural women experienced stalking in more public or physical forms, which stemmed from intersections with community and geographical factors, respectively. We posit the notion of “phantom stalking” and discuss and differentiate it from other psychiatric diagnoses. Additionally, we provide important recommendations related to legislation, education, safety, and research.</p></sec>

Domestic firearm violence against women (2018–2021)

BackgroundOver 50 % of US female homicides occur during domestic violence, with half involving firearms. Public health measures to control COVID-19 may have isolated individuals with abusive partners at a time when firearm sales and new firearm ownership surged. This study sought to evaluate trends in domestic firearm violence (DFV) over time, hypothesizing that rates of DFV increased in the wake of COVID-19. Materials and methodsA retrospective query of the Gun Violence Archive (2018–2021) was conducted for incidents of DFV. The primary outcome was the number of DFV-related shootings. Statistical testing, including one-way and two-way ANOVAs, was performed to compare monthly rates of DFV over time and to compare DFV per 100,000 women in states with strong versus weak gun laws. ResultsAverage monthly DFV incidents rose nationwide during this study's time period, though injuries and fatalities did not. States with weaker gun laws had increased incidents, deaths, and injuries from 2018 to 2021 (all p<0.05). In a two-way ANOVA, stronger gun laws were associated with fewer incidents of DFV when compared with weaker gun law states. We also found that the use of a long gun in DFV more often resulted in a victim's death when compared to a handgun (p<0.01). ConclusionDFV incidents increased over time. States with weaker gun laws bore the brunt of the violence, demonstrating that DFV may be curtailed through legislative efforts. Methods of injury prevention aimed at preventing and reducing domestic violence and improving firearm safety may curtail DFV.