Limited research has examined desistance from intimate partner violence (IPV). In this thesis the aims are to explore the role that individual, social/environmental factors and subjective change (personal agency) play in the process of desistance from male perpetrated IPV, and to develop and examine a multifactorial theory of desistance from male perpetrated IPV. As research about desistance has tended to more prominent in the criminological literature and in relation to general offending and delinquency, the aim of the first part of this thesis was to undertake two critical reviews on desistance from violence and desistance from IPV. It was found that research in these areas has been neglected. It was concluded that a psychological approach to desistance is required whereby the findings are integrated into the models developed in the criminological literature, in order to develop a multifactorial theory of desistance. Specifically, it was found that pertinent to IPV, severity and frequency of violence was related to desistance and typology research indicated that personality characteristics might distinguish desisters from persisters. The nature of the dyad within which the IPV takes place was also found to be relevant specifically to the study of desistance from IPV and therefore, in need of further examination. In the empirical study, group comparisons on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III subscales were conducted between a purposive sample of 37 desisters, 50 persisters and 49 controls. It was found that Cluster A and Cluster B disorders and disorders at a diagnostic level were more often reported in the groups that had used violence against an intimate compared to the control group. The rates and percentages of clinically meaningful traits and disorders were lower for the desisters than the persisters. Overall the desisters were more like the controls than the persisters across the personality traits and clinical syndromes measured. In the qualitative study, thematic analysis was conducted on data derived from interviews with 13 desisters, nine persisters, nine treatment facilitators and seven survivors. A conceptual model of desistance was developed that demonstrated desistance from IPV is a dynamic process that gradually unfolds over time. The model comprised three global themes: (i) The cycle of lifestyle behaviours (violent): ‘Old way of being’ (the experiences, behaviours and thinking of the men when they used violence); (ii) Catalysts for change (the triggers and transitions experienced that initiated change); and (iii) The cycle of lifestyle behaviours (non-violent); ‘New way of being’ (the experiences, behaviours and thinking of the men when they stopped using violence). The integrated findings illustrate that the path from persistence to desistance is neither linear, nor shared by all IPV offenders. A complex interaction between structure and agency characterised the process. Future research needs to adopt a longitudinal design to gain a clearer understanding of the temporal sequencing of events leading to desistance, and also to determine whether the characteristics that differentiated the groups studied change over time. In addition, it is proposed that individual assessment is required for each offender of IPV. Treatment could then be developed to meet individual needs, which may increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation for IPV perpetrators.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-02-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:37:57Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santos_al_me_assis.pdf: 1118542 bytes, checksum: 316b0ef3edf35819d044265ed05c5069 (MD5) / Neste estudo descrevemos, brevemente, a trajetória do reconhecimento da violência contra a mulher como um grave problema social. Destacamos a participação do movimento feminista e sua importância enquanto manifestações, reivindicações, ações e pressões que tiveram como resultado, dentre outros, a implantação de políticas públicas voltadas para o combate à violência contra a mulher. No Brasil, a criação das Delegacias de Defesa da Mulher (DDM) foi uma importante conquista do movimento feminista, pois, deu maior visibilidade ao fenômeno da violência contra a mulher. Contudo, constatamos o quanto é complexa a relação entre as denunciantes, a DDM e o combate à violência contra a mulher. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar o efeito da ideologia do gênero e do patriarcado na subjetividade de mulheres que sofrem violência na relação conjugal e denunciaram seus agressores na DDM; como também, investigar qual o significado e a importância da DDM na vida destas mulheres: suas expectativas e representações antes e depois de procurarem a delegacia. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semi-dirigidas realizadas com quatro mulheres e na análise tomamos como principais categorias analíticas os conceitos de gênero, violência simbólica, patriarcado e poder. Constatamos que a desinformação e o medo são os grandes entraves que impedem as mulheres de efetivar e levar adiante a queixa contra seus agressores. Além disso, a DDM também apresenta dificuldades em oferecer um serviço que contemple a demanda das denúncias de violência de gênero no contexto conjugal, muitas vezes, banalizando a gravidade destas queixas. A efetivação do que lhe compete é realizada de forma lenta e ineficaz, levando as denunciantes a desacreditarem no papel desta instituição no combate à violência contra a mulher. / In this study, we describe briefly the awareness trajectory of the violence against women as a serious social problem. We emphasize the participation of the feminist movement and its importance as manifestations, claims, actions and pressures, which had as result, among others, the implantation of public policies turned to the combat to the violence against women. In Brazil, the creation of the Delegacias de Defesa da Mulher* (DDM) was a feminist movement.s important conquest. However, we noticed how much the relation among the denouncer, the DDM and the combat to the violence against woman is complex. The objective of this research was to analyze the effect of the patriarchy and gender ideology in the subjectivity of women who suffer violence in marital relation and denounce their aggressors in the DDM; and also; to investigate what the meaning and the importance of the DDM is in these women.s lives - their expectations and representations before and after looking for the police station. The data were collected through semi-directed interviews with four women, and in the analysis we took as main analytical categories the concepts of gender, symbolical violence, patriarchy and power. We noticed that the disinformation and the fear are the great locks that impede the women to effectuate and carry out the complaint against their aggressors. Besides, the DDM also presents difficulties in offering a service that contemplates the demand of the gender violence denounces in marital context, in many situations banalizing the gravity of these complaints.

Orientador: Maria de Fátima Araújo / Banca: Cassia Maria Carloto / Banca: Wiliam Siqueira Peres / Resumo: Neste estudo descrevemos, brevemente, a trajetória do reconhecimento da violência contra a mulher como um grave problema social. Destacamos a participação do movimento feminista e sua importância enquanto manifestações, reivindicações, ações e pressões que tiveram como resultado, dentre outros, a implantação de políticas públicas voltadas para o combate à violência contra a mulher. No Brasil, a criação das Delegacias de Defesa da Mulher (DDM) foi uma importante conquista do movimento feminista, pois, deu maior visibilidade ao fenômeno da violência contra a mulher. Contudo, constatamos o quanto é complexa a relação entre as denunciantes, a DDM e o combate à violência contra a mulher. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar o efeito da ideologia do gênero e do patriarcado na subjetividade de mulheres que sofrem violência na relação conjugal e denunciaram seus agressores na DDM; como também, investigar qual o significado e a importância da DDM na vida destas mulheres: suas expectativas e representações antes e depois de procurarem a delegacia. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semi-dirigidas realizadas com quatro mulheres e na análise tomamos como principais categorias analíticas os conceitos de gênero, violência simbólica, patriarcado e poder. Constatamos que a desinformação e o medo são os grandes entraves que impedem as mulheres de efetivar e levar adiante a queixa contra seus agressores. Além disso, a DDM também apresenta dificuldades em oferecer um serviço que contemple a demanda das denúncias de violência de gênero no contexto conjugal, muitas vezes, banalizando a gravidade destas queixas. A efetivação do que lhe compete é realizada de forma lenta e ineficaz, levando as denunciantes a desacreditarem no papel desta instituição no combate à violência contra a mulher. / Abstract: In this study, we describe briefly the awareness trajectory of the violence against women as a serious social problem. We emphasize the participation of the feminist movement and its importance as manifestations, claims, actions and pressures, which had as result, among others, the implantation of public policies turned to the combat to the violence against women. In Brazil, the creation of the "Delegacias de Defesa da Mulher"* (DDM) was a feminist movement.s important conquest. However, we noticed how much the relation among the denouncer, the DDM and the combat to the violence against woman is complex. The objective of this research was to analyze the effect of the patriarchy and gender ideology in the subjectivity of women who suffer violence in marital relation and denounce their aggressors in the DDM; and also; to investigate what the meaning and the importance of the DDM is in these women.s lives - their expectations and representations before and after looking for the police station. The data were collected through semi-directed interviews with four women, and in the analysis we took as main analytical categories the concepts of gender, symbolical violence, patriarchy and power. We noticed that the disinformation and the fear are the great locks that impede the women to effectuate and carry out the complaint against their aggressors. Besides, the DDM also presents difficulties in offering a service that contemplates the demand of the gender violence denounces in marital context, in many situations banalizing the gravity of these complaints. / Mestre