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The gender debate in domestic violence : the role of data Rochelle Braaf and Isobelle Barrett Meyering

By: Braaf, Rochelle.
Contributor(s): Barrett Meyering, Isobelle.
Material type: materialTypeLabelArticleSeries: ADFVC issues paper.Publisher: Sydney, NSW ; Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2013Description: electronic document (23 p.); PDF file: 899.04 KB.Subject(s): DATA ANALYSIS | RECOMMENDED READING | GENDER | GENDER SYMMETRY DEBATE | INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE | AUSTRALIAOnline resources: Click here to access online | Archived copy ADFVC issues paper 25, May 2013Summary: Key points: The gender debate is one of the enduring controversies in domestic violence research. On the one hand, feminist researchers have long identified ‘gender asymmetry’ in domestic violence, arguing that women are the primary targets of abuse and that men comprise the large majority of perpetrators. On the other hand, family conflict researchers typically find ‘gender symmetry’, arguing that women and men experience and perpetrate violence at similar rates. • Within the gender debate, two of the most contentious issues concern researchers’ definitions of domestic violence and their methods of data collection. • Feminist and family conflict researchers differ in how they conceptualise violence in relationships. Feminist researchers emphasise the wider dynamics of domestic violence: why it occurs, how it manifests and victim outcomes. Family conflict researchers define violence more narrowly, being primarily concerned with measuring incidents of violence between partners. • Feminist and family conflict researchers also differ in their data collection methods. Feminist researchers tend to favour qualitative approaches commonly used in clinical studies, as well as quantitative information collected via officially reported data and community sample surveys. Family conflict researchers tend to favour quantitative approaches, relying predominantly on acts-based surveys (such as the Conflict Tactics Scale). • These differences in turn influence feminist and family conflict researchers’ findings about men’s and women’s experiences and perpetration of violence. In particular, their findings conflict in relation to perpetrator motivation for violence, forms and levels of abuse, severity of abuse, repetition of violence and impacts on victims. • Certainly, all violence in intimate relationships is unacceptable. However, an accurate analysis of the relationship between gender and domestic violence is essential to develop effective prevention and responses. • No single type of data collection method provides a complete picture of domestic violence. Furthermore, individual studies or data sets vary considerably in depth and quality of information. Researchers and practitioners, therefore, need to be mindful of the strengths and weaknesses of a chosen approach when drawing conclusions and making recommendations. • From the real life examples presented in this paper and in many other studies canvassed, practitioners and advocates should have confidence in claims of gender asymmetry in domestic violence. (from page 1)
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ADFVC issues paper 25, May 2013

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Key points:
The gender debate is one of the enduring controversies in domestic violence research. On the one hand, feminist researchers have long identified ‘gender asymmetry’ in domestic violence, arguing that women are the primary targets of abuse and that men comprise the large majority of perpetrators. On the other hand, family conflict researchers typically find ‘gender symmetry’, arguing that women and men experience and perpetrate violence at similar rates.
• Within the gender debate, two of the most contentious issues concern researchers’ definitions of domestic violence and their methods of data collection.
• Feminist and family conflict researchers differ in how they conceptualise violence in relationships. Feminist researchers emphasise the wider dynamics of domestic violence: why it occurs, how it manifests and victim outcomes. Family conflict researchers define violence more narrowly, being primarily concerned with measuring incidents of violence between partners.
• Feminist and family conflict researchers also differ in their data collection methods. Feminist researchers tend to favour qualitative approaches commonly used in clinical studies, as well as quantitative information collected via officially reported data and community sample surveys. Family conflict researchers tend to favour quantitative approaches, relying predominantly on acts-based surveys (such as the Conflict Tactics Scale).
• These differences in turn influence feminist and family conflict researchers’ findings about men’s and women’s experiences and perpetration of violence. In particular, their findings conflict in relation to perpetrator motivation for violence, forms and levels of abuse, severity of abuse, repetition of violence and impacts on victims.
• Certainly, all violence in intimate relationships is unacceptable. However, an accurate analysis of the relationship between gender and domestic violence is essential to develop effective prevention and responses.
• No single type of data collection method provides a complete picture of domestic violence. Furthermore, individual studies or data sets vary considerably in depth and quality of information. Researchers and practitioners, therefore, need to be mindful of the strengths and weaknesses of a chosen approach when
drawing conclusions and making recommendations.
• From the real life examples presented in this paper and in many other studies canvassed, practitioners and advocates should have confidence in claims of gender asymmetry in domestic violence. (from page 1)