Putting perpetrators in the picture: This new Briefing Paper (4p) on domestic and sexual violence from the QUT Centre for Justice, by Michael Flood and Lula Dembele, calls for reframing how this violence is understood, measured, & addressed. research.qut.edu.au/centre-for-jus… @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, neglecting perpetration. 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
If we do not put perpetrators and perpetration in the picture, we miss the opportunity to describe what is taking place, hold perpetrators accountable, examine the social conditions that make that use of violence possible, and address these conditions. research.qut.edu.au/centre-for-jus… 9/9
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