<p>The purpose of this study was to do a narrative survey of the discussion about violence in partner relationships that is held in research literature. The question at issue was: How do research literature discuss violence in partner relationships, with focus on heterosexual relationships? The eight primary documents that have been chosen are written by researchers, professional therapists, National Counsil for Women's protection (Nationellt Råd för Kvinnofrid, NRK) and Swedish Government Official Report (Statens Offentliga Utredningar, SOU). To investigate the theories, discover the similarities and differences between them and how they can complement each other, the documents statements has been analyzed with a dialectic-hermeneutic approach and social constructionism and discourse theory.</p><p>The research findings showed that the gender perspective theory, the psychodynamic theory and the social psychology theory have a few things in common, but that they on the whole are different and contradict each other. The gender perspective theory dominates the discussion but needs to be combined with the other theories to give a more all-embracing understanding. A multidimensional model seems to be necessary.</p>

The purpose of this study was to do a narrative survey of the discussion about violence in partner relationships that is held in research literature. The question at issue was: How do research literature discuss violence in partner relationships, with focus on heterosexual relationships? The eight primary documents that have been chosen are written by researchers, professional therapists, National Counsil for Women's protection (Nationellt Råd för Kvinnofrid, NRK) and Swedish Government Official Report (Statens Offentliga Utredningar, SOU). To investigate the theories, discover the similarities and differences between them and how they can complement each other, the documents statements has been analyzed with a dialectic-hermeneutic approach and social constructionism and discourse theory. The research findings showed that the gender perspective theory, the psychodynamic theory and the social psychology theory have a few things in common, but that they on the whole are different and contradict each other. The gender perspective theory dominates the discussion but needs to be combined with the other theories to give a more all-embracing understanding. A multidimensional model seems to be necessary.

(in English): Dissertation deals with the problematics of domestic violence from the perspective of empirical research. First, it discusses the definition of domestic violence with all its types and forms. Then it introduces possible typology of domestic violence conducted based on the frequency, cruelty, purpose and consequences of violent incidents and it identifies the most serious type of domestic violence known as intimate terrorism. It is characterized by cyclically repeating phases of partner's violent attacks and gradation of frequency and intensity of these attacks. Violent behavior is in this case guided by the motivation to dominate, control and intimidate the other partner. Next, it brings overview of risk factors and main sociological theories trying to explain the initiation and progress of domestic violence, starting from the Social Learning Theory, through the Social Situational/Stress and Coping Theory, Resource Theory, Exchange Theory, Sociobiological Theory, all the way to the Feminist Theories applied in subsequent interpretation of the results of the data analysis. Before the data analysis itself the dissertation describes the sources of the data and it introduces main moments of the research of domestic violence both in the world and in our country. Then it identifies a group...