This article explores women’s uses of violence by bringing together feminist sociopolitical analysis and bell hooks’s concept of patriarchal violence in the home. The voices of women from diverse backgrounds, sexual orientations, and ethnicities illustrate each of the three components (learning, opportunity, and choice) of Zemsky’s and Gilbert, Poorman, and Simmons’s model of domestic violence. The ideas emerging from this initial exploration of the issue lend support to the importance of contextualizing individual acts of violence within frameworks that include, among other elements, ethnicity and sexual orientation. The authors emphasize the importance of inviting the voices of women who have been affected by intimate partner violence to guide the ongoing dialogue and exploration of this social issue.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abalos, D. T. (1986). Latinos in the United States: The sacred and the political. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.
2.
Adams, D. (1988). Treatment models for men who batter: A profeminist analysis. In K. Yllö & M. Bograd (Eds.), Feminist perspectives on wife abuse (pp. 176-199). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
3.
Aldarondo, E. (1998). Perpetrators of domestic violence. In A. Bellack & M. Hersen (Eds.), Comprehensive clinical psychology (pp. 437-442). New York: Pergamon.
4.
Anzaldua, G., & Moraga, C. (Eds.). (1983). This bridge called my back: Writings by radical women of color. New York: Kitchen Table/Women of Color Press.
5.
Arias, I., Samios, M., & O’Leary, K. (1987). Prevalence and correlates of physical aggression during courtship. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2, 82-90.
6.
Barnett, O. W., Lee, C. Y., & Thelan, R. E. (1997). Gender differences in attributions of self-defense and control in interpartner aggression. Violence Against Women, 3, 462-481.
7.
Bograd, M. (1984). Family systems approaches to wife battering: A feminist critique. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 54, 558-568.
8.
Bowker, L., Arbitell, M., & McFerron, J. R. (1988). On the relationship between wife beating and child abuse. In K. Yllö & M. Bograd (Eds.), Feminist perspectives on wife abuse (pp. 158-174). Newbury Park: Sage.
9.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
10.
Brush, L. D. (1990). Violent acts and injurious outcomes in married couples: Methodological issues in the National Survey of Families and Households. Gender & Society, 4, 56-67.
11.
Brush, L. D. (1993). Violent acts and injurious outcomes in married couples: Methodological issues in the National Survey of Families and Households. In P. B. Bart & E. G. Moran (Eds.), Violence against women: The bloody footprints (pp. 240-251). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
12.
Bryant, A. S., &Demian, R. (1994). Relationship characteristics of American gay and lesbian couples: Findings from a national survey. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 1, 101-117.
13.
Burke, L. K., & Follingstad, D. R. (1999). Violence in lesbian and gay relationships: Theory, prevalence, and correlational factors. Clinical Psychology Review, 19, 487-512.
14.
Cárdenas de Santamaría, M. C. (1990). La crisis teórica de la psicología: Reflexiones sobre una experiencia investigativa en torno a la problemática de la mujer [Psychology’s theoretical crisis: Reflections on a research experience regarding women’s issues]. In B. Jiménez-Domínguez (Ed.), Aportes críticos a la psicología en latinoamérica [Critical contributions to psychology in Latin America] (pp. 283-297). Guadalajara, Mexico: Editorial Universidad de Guadalajara.
15.
Carlson, B. (1984). Causes and maintenance of domestic violence: An ecological analysis. Social Service Review, 58, 569-587.
16.
Cascardi, M., & Vivian, D. (1995). Context for specific episodes of marital violence: Gender and severity of violence differences. Journal of Family Violence, 10, 265-293.
17.
Caulfield, M., & Riggs, D. (1992). The assessment of dating aggression: Empirical evaluation of the Conflict Tactics Scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 7, 549-558.
18.
Coltrane, S., & Valdez, E. O. (1997). Reluctant compliance: Work-family role allocation in dual-earner Chicano families. In M. Romero, P. Hondagneu-Sotello, & V. Ortiz (Eds.), Challenging fronteras: Structuring Latina and Latino lives in the U.S. (pp. 229-246). New York: Routledge.
19.
Corsi, J., Dohmen, M. L., & Sotés, M. A. (1995). Violencia masculina en la pareja: Una aproximación al diagnóstico y a los modelos de intervención [Masculine violence in couples: Diagnosis and intervention models]. Buenos Aires, Argentina: Editorial Paidós.
20.
Currie, D. H. (1998). Violent men or violent women? Whose definition counts? In R. K. Bergen (Ed.), Issues in intimate violence (pp. 97-111). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
21.
Dasgupta, S. D. (2001). Towards an understanding of women’s use of non-lethal violence in intimate heterosexual relationships. Retrieved August 17, 2001, from http://www.vawnet.org/VNL/library/general/AR_womviol.html
22.
Dasgupta, S. D. (2002). A framework for understanding women’s use of non-lethal violence in intimate heterosexual relationships. Violence Against Women, 8, 1364-1389.
23.
DeKeseredy, W. S., Saunders, D. G., Schwartz, M. D., & Alvi, S. (1997). The meanings and motives for women’s use of violence in Canadian college dating relationships: Results from a national survey. Sociological Spectrum, 17, 199-222.
24.
DeKeseredy, W. S., & Schwartz, M. D. (1998). Measuring the extent of woman abuse in intimate heterosexual relationships: A critique of the Conflict Tactics Scales. Retrieved August 17, 2001, from http://www.vawnet.org/vnl/library/general/AR_ctscrit.pdf
25.
DeMaris, A. (1992). Male versus female initiation of aggression: The case of courtship violence. In E. C. Viano (Ed.), Intimate violence: Interdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 111-120). Bristol, PA: Taylor & Francis.
26.
Dobash, R. P., & Dobash, R. E. (1978). Wives: The “appropriate” victims of marital violence. Victimology, 1, 416-441.
27.
Dobash, R. P., Dobash, R. E., Cavanagh, K., & Lewis, R. (1998). Separate and intersecting realities: A comparison of men’s and women’s accounts of violence against women. Violence Against Women, 4, 382-414.
28.
Dobash, R. P., Dobash, R. E., Wilson, M., & Daly, M. (1992). The myth of sexual symmetry in marital violence. Social Problems, 39, 71-91.
29.
Duarte, P. (1995). Sinfonía de una ciudadana inconclusa: El maltrato doméstico y la ciudadanía [Symphony of an unfinished citizen: Domestic abuse and citizenship]. Mexico, DF: COVAC, Asociación Mexicana contra la Violencia hacia las Mujeres.
30.
Duarte, P., & González, G. (1994). La lucha contra la violencia género en México: De Nairobi a Beijing [The struggle against gender violence in Mexico: From Nairobi to Beijing]. Mexico, DF: Colectivo de Hombres en Contra de la Violencia Intrafamiliar, Asociación Mexicana Contra la Violencia hacia las Mujeres.
31.
Dutton, D. G. (1994). Patriarchy and wife assault: The ecological fallacy. Violence and Victims, 9, 167-182.
32.
Dutton, M. A. (1996). Battered women’s strategic response to violence: The role of context. In J. L. Edleson & Z. C. Eisikovits (Eds.), Future interventions with battered women and their families (pp. 105-124). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
33.
Eaton, M. (1994). Abuse by any other name: Feminism, difference, and intra-lesbian violence. In M. A. Fineman & R. Mykitiuk (Eds.), The public nature of private violence: The discovery of domestic abuse (pp. 195-223). New York: Routledge.
34.
Edleson, J. L., & Tolman, R. M. (1992). Interventions for men who batter. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
35.
Elliott, P. (1996). Shattering illusions: Same-sex domestic violence. In C. Renzetti & C. H. Miley (Eds.), Violence in gay and lesbian domestic partnerships (pp. 1-8). Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press.
36.
Gelles, R. J. (1985). Intimate violence in families. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
37.
Gelles, R. J. (1993). Through a sociological lens: Social structure and family violence. In R. J. Gelles & D. R. Loseke (Eds.), Current controversies on family violence (pp. 31-46). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
38.
Gelles, R. J., & Straus, M. A. (1988). Intimate violence. New York: Simon & Schuster.
39.
Gilbert, L., Poorman, P. B., & Simmons, S. (1990). Guidelines for mental health systems’ response to lesbian battering. In P. Elliot (Ed.), Confronting lesbian battering: A manual for the battered women’s movement (pp. 105-117). St. Paul: Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women.
40.
Goldner, V., Penn, P., Sheinber, M., & Walker, G. (1990). Love and violence: Gender paradoxes in volatile attachments. Family Process, 29, 343-363.
41.
Gryl, F. E., Stith, S. M., & Bird, G. W. (1991). Close dating relationships among college students: Differences by use of violence and by gender. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 8, 243-264.
42.
Hart, B. (1986). Lesbian battering: An examination. In K. Lobel (Ed.), Naming the violence (pp. 173-189). Seattle, WA: Seal Press.
43.
Heise, L. (1998). Violence against women: An integrated, ecological framework. Violence Against Women, 4, 262-290.
44.
hooks, b. (2000). Feminism is for everybody: Passionate politics. Cambridge, MA: South End.
45.
Island, D., & Letellier, P. (Eds.) (1991). Men who beat the men who love them. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press.
46.
Kanuha, V. (1990). Compounding the triple jeopardy: Battering in lesbian of color relationships. Women and Therapy, 9, 169-184.
47.
Kimmel, M. S. (2002). “Gender symmetry” in domestic violence: A substantive and methodological research review. Violence Against Women, 8, 1332-1336.
48.
Kurz, D. (1989). Social science perspectives on wife abuse: Current debates and future directions. Gender & Society, 3, 489-505.
49.
Kurz, D. (1993). Physical assault by husbands: A major social problem. In R. J. Gelles & D. R. Loseke (Eds.), Current controversies on family violence (pp. 88-103). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
50.
Lagarde, M. (1996). Género y feminismo: Desarrollo humano y democracia [Gender and feminism: Human development and democracy]. Madrid, Spain: Horas y Horas.
51.
Lagarde, M. (1997). Los cautiverios de las mujeres: Madresposas, monjas, putas, presas, y locas [Women’s captivities: Mother-wives, nuns, whores, inmates, and crazy women]. Mexico, DF: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
52.
Lie, G. Y., Schilit, R., Bush, J., Montagne, M., & Reyes, L. (1991). Lesbians in currently aggressive relationships: How frequently do they report aggressive past relationships? Violence and Victims, 6, 121-135.
53.
Macchietto, J. G. (1992). Aspects of male victimization and female aggression: Implications for counseling men. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 14, 375-392.
54.
Margolies, L., & Leeder, E. (1995). Violence at the door: Treatment of lesbian batterers. Violence Against Women, 1, 139-157.
55.
Marín, G., & Marín, V. B. (1991). Research with Hispanic populations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
56.
Martín-Baró, I. (1994). Toward a liberation psychology. In A. Aron & S. Corne (Eds.), Writings for a liberation psychology (pp. 17-32). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
57.
Merrill, G. S. (1996). Ruling the exception: Same-sex battering and domestic violence theory. In C. Renzetti & C. H. Miley (Eds.), Violence in gay and lesbian domestic partnerships (pp. 9-21). Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press.
58.
Moffit, T. E., & Caspi, A. (1999). Findings about partner violence from the Dunedin multidisciplinary health and development study. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.
59.
Pearson, P. (1997). When she was bad: Violent women and the myth of innocence. Toronto, Canada: Random House.
60.
Pence, E., & Paymar, M. (1993). Education groups for men who batter: The Duluth model. New York: Springer.
61.
Perilla, J. L. (1999). Domestic violence as a human rights issue: The case of immigrant Latinos. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 21, 107-133.
62.
Perilla, J. L., Bakeman, R., & Norris, F. H. (1994). Culture and domestic violence: The ecology of abused Latinas. Violence and Victims, 9, 325-339.
63.
Perilla, J. L., & Pérez, F. (2002). A program for immigrant men who batter within the context of a comprehensive family intervention. In E. Aldarondo & F. Mederos (Eds.), Programs for men who batter: Intervention and prevention strategies for a diverse society. Kingston, NJ: Civic Research Institute.
64.
Ramírez, A. (1999). El hombre y la violencia intrafamiliar [Man and family violence]. Mexico, DF: Editorial Pax.
65.
Ramírez, M., III. (1983). Psychology of the Americas: Mestizo perspectives on personality and mental health. New York: Pergamon.
66.
Renzetti, C. (1999). The challenge to feminism posed by women’s use of violence in intimate relationships. In S. Lamb (Ed.), New versions of victims: Feminists struggle with the concept (pp. 42-56). New York: New York University Press.
67.
Renzetti, C., & Miley, C. H. (Eds.) (1996). Violence in gay and lesbian domestic partnerships. Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press.
68.
Smith, B. (Ed.). (1983). Home girls: A Black feminist anthology. New York: Kitchen Table/Women of Color Press.
69.
Sorenson, S. B., & Telles, C. A. (1991). Self-reports of spousal violence in a Mexican American and non-Hispanic White population. Violence and Victims, 6, 3-15.
70.
Steinmetz, S. K. (1977-1978). The battered husband syndrome. Victimology, 2, 499-509.
71.
Steinmetz, S. K. (1981). A cross-cultural comparison of marital abuse. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 8, 404-414.
72.
Steinmetz, S. K., & Lucca, J. S. (1988). Husband battering. In V. B. Van Hasselt, R. L. Morrison, A. S. Bellack, & M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of family violence (pp. 233-246). New York: Plenum.
73.
Stets, J. E. (1988). Domestic violence and control. New York: Springer-Verlag.
74.
Stets, J. E., & Straus, M. A. (1990). The marriage license as a hitting license: A comparison of assaults in dating, cohabiting, and married couples. In M. A. Straus & R. J. Gelles (Eds.), Physical violence in American families (pp. 227-244). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
75.
Straus, M. A. (1979). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 75-88.
76.
Straus, M. A. (1993). Physical assault by wives: A major social problem. In R. J. Gelles & D. R. Loseke (Eds.), Current controversies on family violence (pp. 67-87). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
77.
Straus, M. A. (1997). Physical assaults by women partners: A major social problem. In M. R. Walsh (Ed.), Women, men, and gender: Ongoing debates (pp. 210-220). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
78.
Straus, M. A. (1999). The controversy over domestic violence by women: A methodological, theoretical, and sociology of science analysis. In X. B. Arriga & S. Oskamp (Eds.), Violence in intimate relationships (pp. 17-43). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
79.
Straus, M. A., & Gelles, R. J. (1986). Societal change and change in family violence from 1975 to 1985 as revealed by two national surveys. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 465-479.
80.
Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J., & Steinmetz, S. K. (1980). Behind closed doors: Violence in the American family. New York: Anchor.
81.
Straus, M. A., Hamby, S. L., Boney-McCoy, S., & Sugarman, D. B. (1996). The revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-2): Development and preliminary psychometric data. Journal of Family Issues, 17, 283-316.
82.
Sugarman, D., & Hotaling, G. (1989). Dating violence: Prevalence, context, and risk markers. In M. Pirog-Good & J. Stets (Eds.), Violence in dating relationships: Emerging social issues (pp. 3-32). New York: Praeger.
83.
Triandis, H. C., Marín, G., Hui, C. J., Lisansky, J., & Ottati, V. (1984). Role perceptions of Hispanic young adults. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 115, 297-320.
84.
Turrell, S. C. (2000). A descriptive analysis of same-sex relationship violence for a diverse sample. Journal of Family Violence, 15, 281-293.
85.
White, E. (1985). Chain chain change: For Black women dealing with physical and emotional abuse. Seattle, WA: Seal Press.
86.
Wolf, N. (1993). Fire with fire: The new female power and how to use it. New York: Ballantine.
87.
Yllö, K., & Bograd, M. (Eds.). (1988). Feminist perspectives on wife abuse. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
88.
Zemsky, B. (1990). Lesbian battering: Considerations for interventions. In P. Elliot (Ed.), Confronting lesbian battering: A manual for the battered women’s movement (pp. 64-67). St. Paul: Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women.
