From violence to desistance: a qualitative analysis of intimate partner violence perpetrators’ narratives

Within psychology and criminology research, violence between partners has often been approached from the perspective of victimization and the risk of recidivism. Many countries confirmed the societal nature of domestic violence while calling for a retributive justice model. However, the effectiveness of this type of policy has been challenged by research that has highlighted the limited effectiveness of punishment. Identifying the desistance process, which is still in development, is paramount, especially in intimate partner violence. This qualitative study analyse the process of ending the violence at work of 13 male perpetrators of partner violence. Through semi-structured interviews and a “life course” perspective, including a qualitative life history timeline, a thematic analysis of the discourses allowed the creation of an eight-step exit process model: (1) history of violence and development of relational scripts; (2) divergent expectations between partners; (3) understanding the violent event; (4) the attribution of responsibility; (5) the escalation of violence; (6) reassessment of oneself and the couple; (7) intrasubjective changes; (8) the development of strategies to end the violence. Moreover, the results showed two types of desistance processes anchored in life histories. We will discuss the modeling of exit processes from partner violence and, particularly, its implications for intervention with perpetrators. Thus, in order to promote the rehabilitation of perpetrators of violence between partners, stakeholders in the legal and therapeutic fields must be able to support the processes of desistance by adjusting intervention strategies based on the dynamics of violence and the exit trajectories from intimate partner violence.