Post-Separation Violence
Domestic violence is a major problem for the community, particularly violence occurring during and immediately following separation. Post-separation violence isn’t limited to acts causing physical harm, but also includes emotional or psychological abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, economic abuse and social abuse. These acts aren’t solely directed toward the former partner; other targets include children, the spouses’ new partner, and individuals identified with the system, such as Family Law court works.
Previous research on this issue can be grouped into four approaches:
- individual pathology,
- social structural stress,
- social learning; and
- patriarchal explanations.
A distinctive feature of this research is that it examines separation-related violence from the abusers’ perspective. In developing prevention strategies, it would seem necessary to adopt a non-judgemental perspective and attempt to understand the view point of all involved but particularly that of the offender.
From the community’s point of view the real need is that these crimes be prevented. The eventual aim of all workers in this area should be prevention, or at least a reduction, in the incidence and severity of this offence. This will not be achieved until all have a better understanding of the interaction between the partners, from the very commencement of the conflict to the point of physical violence.
This study extends previous research and fills the void on post-separation violence and the male perspective.