He hits, she hits: Assessing debates regarding men’s and women’s experiences of domestic violence

Do men and women use violence against each other at similar rates and with similar effects? Debates over men’s and women’s domestic and family violence are increasingly prominent, in local communities, programming and policy, and research. Domestic violence long has been understood to be a problem largely of violence by men, against women and children. Now however, emphases on women’s domestic violence against men and on domestic violence as gender-equal are increasingly visible. This presentation assesses these debates, in two ways. First, Dr Flood provides a comprehensive outline of contemporary scholarship on the character of men’s and women’s experiences of violence perpetration and victimisation. Second, he assesses the political character and agendas of those groups involved in advocating for a gender-equal approach to domestic violence.