‘ Using it ’ or ‘ losing it ’ : Men ’ s constructions of their violence towards female partners

This is the first in an occasional series of papers through which the Clearinghouse will present original Australian research on domestic and family violence. The research described in this paper is the result of a partnership between domestic violence practitioners and academics. Collaborations such as these are increasingly recognised as essential to ensuring that research is grounded in the experience of those delivering and receiving domestic violence services, and that the findings contribute to more effective intervention. In this project, the research team used qualitative methodology to explore in depth the ways in which men who use violence in their intimate relationships, understand the experience of violence, with the goal of assisting practitioners to develop and refine their interventions. Although the findings of qualitative research cannot be generalised to the wider population of men who use violence against their intimate partners, they provide a depth of understanding which complements the findings of quantitative research. While this research focuses on the experience of men who use violence, the authors stress that this exploration occurs within a therapeutic context which prioritises the safety of women and children and which holds men accountable for their abuse and violence.