An Updated Feminist View of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

In this article, we explore intimate partner violence (IPV) from an intersectional, feminist perspective. We describe how an updated feminist view guides us to a perspective on IPV that is more strongly grounded in an antioppressive, nonviolent, socially just feminist stance than a second‐wave gender‐essential feminist stance that suggests that patriarchy is the cause of IPV. At the time we began to work together it seemed that a researcher had to be identified as a “family violence” researcher or a “feminist” researcher of violence against women, and that it wasn't possible to be a feminist researcher who looked beyond patriarchy as the cause of IPV. We advocate critically thinking about essentialist practices in clinical work so that we can maintain an antioppressive, socially just, nonviolent approach to working with clients who experience IPV.

From Knowing to Doing: Guidelines for Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy

“…Supervisors and training programs are looking for ways to promote cultural sensitivity, global awareness, and equity (e.g., Allan & Poulsen, ; Falender, Shafranske, & Falicov, ; Hernández & McDowell, ; McGeorge, Carlson, Erickson, & Guttormson, ; Platt & Laszloffy, ; Tohidian & Quek, ; Winston & Piercy, ). Preparation for just practice frequently includes development of emotional reflexivity, person‐of‐the‐therapist work, and strategies for dialogue across differences (Aponte & Kissil, ; Garcia, Košutic, & McDowell, ; Hardy & Bobes, ; McGeorge & Carlson, ; Nixon et al., ; Watts‐Jones, ), as well as attention to nuances of power and meaning in each person's intersecting contextual niche (Addison & Coolhart, ; Falicov, ; George & Stith, ).…”

Impact of Violence and Relationship Abuse on Grades of American Indian/Alaska Native Undergraduate College Students

“…Historically, V/RA studies have centered on the impact of violence/abuse primarily on women; however, V/RA is being considered in the framework of multiple identities in contextualized locales (e.g., Damant et al, 2008;George & Stith, 2014;Kuokkanen, 2008;Samuels & Ross-Sheriff, 2008). Further exploratory research should move beyond the cross-sectional and limited factors deployed in this study and examine contextualized factors pertinent to the AI/AN student narrative.…”

Mentalizing Family Violence Part 1: Conceptual Framework

“…Over the past 50 years, systemic practitioners have developed a considerable range of conceptual frameworks and interventions aimed at treating different types of family violence, including child abuse and IPV (for more recent accounts see, e.g., George & Stith, ; Siegel, ). As it is not within the remit of this paper to present a review of the many existing programs that are relevant to the field of child maltreatment, we would refer the reader to other contributions we and others have made elsewhere to provide such an overview (Fonagy et al., ; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, ).…”