A summary of the key messages for family violence workers from this research, written by Hazel Scott, is also available by clicking on the link below. The second (and final) report from this project "The cultures of cool and being a man : getting in early to prevent domestic violence" explores young men's attitudes in their relationships and is available here: http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/PublicationDetails.aspx?publication=14557. NZFVC Keywords: Research; Youth; Early intervention; Primary prevention

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The underlying thesis of this project is that men's violence towards women is preventable. This study aims to identify the social and cultural values and beliefs that inform ownership practices and in doing so increase the possibilities for preventing men's violence towards women by bringing the language, values and beliefs that support ownership practices out of the unspoken realm and into conscious awareness. When the language, values and beliefs that inform ownership practices are made overt, the history of them, the impact of them and the behavioural trajectories of them are open to critical appraisal. These appraisals open up possibilities for resistance. If young people are more informed about these practices they will be more able to resist them in their own relationships. The practices of dominance and entitlement that emerge from social and cultural pressures can no longer be considered "natural" or "just the way things are" for men and women. Young people's actions in relationships become informed conscious choices. The intention of this research is that the knowledge uncovered can be employed to construct new curricula in schools and to inform existing curricula which work towards the early intervention and the prevention of domestic violence. It is hoped that these curricula will involve critically reflecting on our cultural heritage - questioning historical and current media representations and other institutional practices that promote ways of being which work against ethical and just behaviour in boyfriend/girlfriend relationships - and promoting egalitarian relationships which appear to protect women from men's domestic violence. This research demonstrates that qualitative research of this nature can provide important knowledge about the relationship between culture and violence and can usefully inform early intervention and prevention practices.--Author's abstract

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