Meet the author | Reimagining Desistance from Male-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence: The role and experiences of female victims-survivors

Hybrid event

Despite decades of research, our understanding of IPV desistance processes is very limited. In particular, understanding of the mechanisms that may account for why some men ‘stop’ abusing their partners and others persist, is under-developed. Because IPV occurs within a dyadic and domestic context, women who are subjected to IPV are not only in a unique position to observe their partner’s behaviours (and how they change over time), but also to implement strategies to initiate and support their partner’s desistance.

This study involved semi-structured interviews with 40 female victims-survivors of male-perpetrated IPV, 15 of whom had experienced the cessation or reduction of abuse perpetrated against them for a period of six months or longer. Focusing on the period where participants relationships with abusers were still intact, the analysis found that victims-survivors were highly agentic actors who implemented a range of strategies to both mitigate their day-to-day risk of violence and support their partners’ long-term behavioural changes. Even in situations where the violence did not stop entirely, the strategies participants implemented were important for inhibiting escalating patterns of violence and abuse within their relationship. Although their understanding of abusers’ thought processes and motivations was limited by contextual awareness, participants’ narratives suggested that desistance would not have occurred, but for their actions.

About the author

Dr Hayley Boxall is a criminologist who has been undertaking research on domestic and family violence (including intimate partner violence) and sexual violence for over 10 years. She has published extensively on these topics, and been a primary investigator on a number of projects focused on criminal justice responses to DFV, pathways/trajectories into DFV offending and intimate partner femicide, offending and reoffending patterns of DFV perpetrators and the exploring the nature and prevalence of different forms of DFV and sexual violence. Since 2020 Hayley has been the Manager of the Australian Institute of Criminology’s Violence against Women and Children Research Program, and is a Course Convenor at the University of Sydney and Griffith University.

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Thursday 24 August 2023

Time: 6-7.15pm (Refreshments to be provided)

Venue: Level 1, Law Lounge, New Law Building Annex (F10A)

CPD points: 1.25

This event is being held in-person and online at Sydney Law School. Please indicate your viewing preference at registration.

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