Kate Fitz-Gibbon1, Sandra Walklate2, Jude McCulloch1, Jane Maree Maher1
1Monash University, Clayton, Australia, 2University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England
This paper examines intimate partner violence, risk and security as global issues. Although intimate partner violence, risk and security are intimately connected they are rarely considered in tandem in the context of global security. Yet, intimate partner violence causes widespread physical, sexual and/or psychological harm. It is the most common type of violence against women internationally and is estimated to affect 30 per cent of women worldwide. Intimate partner violence has received significant attention in recent years, animating political debate, policy and law reform as well as scholarly attention. This paper examines the need to count the costs of men’s intimate partner violence against women and the importance of contextualising the risk of intimate partner violence. It urges a rethink of the social construction of risk and violence arguing that the traditional dichotomy of public and private violence has historically disadvantaged women by downplaying the harm and risk of intimate partner violence.
Biography:
Dr Kate Fitz-Gibbon is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University and an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Law and Social Justice at the University of Liverpool. Kate is a lead researcher within the Monash Gender and Family Violence Research Program.