annotated bibliography of new zealand research into family violence

Abstract: This article debates the use of Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) as expertevidence in self-defence cases where a female has killed her abusive partner. The authorexplores the legal definition of self-defence, and discusses the idea of imminent danger andhow this applies to battered women in New Zealand and the United States. Finally, argumentsboth for and against using BWS in self-defence pleas are highlighted.Towns, A. (2005). Violence against women: Beyond silence. Paper presented at the Women’sConvention: Looking Back, Moving Forward, Wellington, New Zealand.See: www.nzfvc.org.nz/13269.pubTopic Areas: Intimate partner abuse, Women, Victims/survivors, Cultural factors, GenderAbstract: This conference paper discusses the silencing of women in the context of domesticviolence. The author argues that constructions of mutual responsibility - where the woman isassumed to have the same degree of responsibility for the violence as the man - and genderneutral language are a major cause of women remaining silent about abuse. The author claimsthat a manifestation of this silencing is the fact that many victims do not see domesticviolence as a crime. This presentation is the second half of a joint presentation with NicolaGavey’s Violence Against Women: Beyond Gender Neutrality (2005).Towns, A., & Adams, P. (2000). ‘If I really loved him enough, he would be okay’: Women’s accountsof male partner violence. Violence against Women, 6(6), 558-585.See: www.nzfvc.org.nz/13026.pubTopic Areas: Intimate partner abuse, Women, Victims/survivors, Cultural factors, GenderAbstract: This article discusses how social ideals of romantic love contribute to thecontinuation of violent relationships. Interviews with 20 women pointed to the fact thatdiscourses of ‘perfect-love’ play a significant part in women’s decisions to maintainrelationships with men who use violence against them. The ideals and expectations of ‘perfectlove’ also work to silence women from talking about the violence. The authors used afeminist post-structuralist discourse analysis framework. The authors maintain that thesefindings have significance for early intervention and prevention strategies.Towsey, F. (1996). Women’s experiences of their partner’s attendance at a Men for Non Violenceprogramme: Their stories and a discourse analysis. Unpublished master’s thesis, MasseyUniversity, Palmerston North, New Zealand.See: www.nzfvc.org.nz/12253.pubTopic Areas: Intimate partner abuse, Physical abuse, Psychological/emotional abuse,Women, Perpetrators/offenders, Victims/survivors, Gender, Social services, Prevention/intervention/treatmentAbstract: This study analysed, via interviews, 11 women’s perspectives regarding theirpartner’s involvement in Men For Non Violence (MFNV) programmes. By making thewomen’s stories publicly available, the author found similarities in viewpoints, gainedsuggestions for improvements to MFNV programmes, and knowledge of how the womenexercised the resources available to them.Trenberth, A. (2002). The sound of one hand clapping: Psychological violence and its implications forchildren. In Child Law Conference. Wellington, New Zealand: LexisNexis Professional176