ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I seek to redress sexist institutional practices inherent within the exonerated father/responsible mother paradigm by contributing to the growing body of knowledge exploring the attitudes and behaviours of men who use violence and coercive control. I present current research in this area and then share some findings from a research study conducted in Australia with men who were involved in a men's behaviour change programme regarding their accounts of exposing children to domestic violence. The findings provide important insights into how fathers’ behaviours and attitudes may contribute to childhood development and the ecology of the family. This is an area of enquiry that is often neglected or left as a professional ‘blind spot’. This chapter closes with contributions to practice with recommendations for the professional assessment of domestically violent men's fathering.
