Domestic violence and abuse is a widely known social phenomenon in society that has caught the attention of many researchers. It is a pattern of assault and coercive behaviour including physical, sexual and psychological attacks by an individual against his/her intimate partner also known as IPVA. One aspect of IPVA that is not recognised enough is the controlling behaviours of one parent against the other in order to damage a parent-child relationship, known as parental alienation. This experience is poorly known and unacknowledged with gendered narratives still impacting the framing and services available to victims. The present research study aims to expand the literature available on this underreported population and fill the gap by using a qualitative methods study. As such, a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with practitioners from domestic violence organisations was conducted. The data from individual interviews enabled the researcher to identify several correlations and themes to better acknowledge and understand the experiences of victims of PA and its services through the perspectives of practitioners. The findings identified that fathers are predominantly the parent that is targeted with mothers adhering to the societal stereotypes placed upon them of being the primary caregiver. Limitations of the present study and future directions are discussed, highlighting the necessity for recommendations to be made and implemented to services, this includes specific criteria for PA to be established in addition of the need for a shift in societal perceptions of DVA for the inclusion of male victims.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be a member of the University of Lincoln to be able to view this dissertation. Please log in here.