Putting perpetrators in the picture: It is time to see the problems of domestic & sexual violence as the perpetrators’ problem. Conference paper by Flood and Dembele, December 2020. xyonline.net/content/puttin… @DLulabele 1/9
Too often, domestic and sexual violence are framed as passive and perpetrator-free: “A man killed a woman” becomes “A woman was killed by a man” becomes “A woman was killed”. “John raped Mary” becomes “Mary was raped by John” becomes “Mary was raped”. 2/9
Even some prevention language, e.g. “Preventing violence before it occurs” is passive, and again perpetrators and perpetration are invisible. Yet violence involves agency: a person uses violence against another person. 3/9
How domestic and sexual violence are framed: If we do not name the agents of violence, then: 1) We do not hold perpetrators accountable. 2) We do not hold communities responsible. 3) We do not address the drivers of perpetration. 4/9
Perpetrators are *made*, not born. If we want to stop making perpetrators, we have to change the social conditions and settings which produce them. Primary prevention involves addressing the drivers of perpetration (and victimisation). ourwatch.org.au/change-the-sto… @OurWatchAus 5/9
So: Keep perpetrators and perpetration in view. Name their active use of violence. “When John raped Mary.” And on prevention, refer to preventing the perpetration of domestic and sexual violence. Preventing violence before it is perpetrated. 6/9
How domestic and sexual violence is measured: We report only on how many women were assaulted last year, not on how many men assaulted women last year. Existing data on domestic and family violence and sexual violence focuses on victimisation. 7/9
How domestic and sexual violence are prevented & reduced: If we don’t know how many people are perpetrating DV and SV and how they are perpetrating it, how can we prevent it? If we don’t know the conditions and contexts for the perpetration of violence, how can we prevent it? 8/9
Putting perpetrators in the picture: Framing DV and SV as only a victim’s problem may reflect a societal discomfort. Just how many men among us have behaved in violent, abusive, or coercive ways? “It is the men we know, like and love who use abuse and violence.” @DLulabele 9/9
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