Skip to main content
Taylor & Francis Group Logo
Advanced Search

Click here to search books using title name,author name and keywords.

  • Login
  • Hi, User  
    • Your Account
    • Logout
Advanced Search

Click here to search books using title name,author name and keywords.

Breadcrumbs Section. Click here to navigate to respective pages.

Chapter

The social construction of intimate partner violence and abuse

Chapter

The social construction of intimate partner violence and abuse

DOI link for The social construction of intimate partner violence and abuse

The social construction of intimate partner violence and abuse book

Myths, legends and formula stories

The social construction of intimate partner violence and abuse

DOI link for The social construction of intimate partner violence and abuse

The social construction of intimate partner violence and abuse book

Myths, legends and formula stories
ByPaula Nicolson
BookDomestic Violence and Psychology

Click here to navigate to parent product.

Edition 2nd Edition
First Published 2019
Imprint Routledge
Pages 15
eBook ISBN 9781351202077

ABSTRACT

A powerful discourse running through the text of web-sites from advocacy and activist agencies has been the identification and debunking of ‘myths’. A myth or unsubstantiated story may lead to attitudes and beliefs which encourage acts as if that story were indeed the reality. The myths debunked here are that domestic violence and abuse are rare events targeted at the ‘deserving’. This was the general accepted view before it was discredited by the pioneering work of Erin Pizzey at the Chiswick refuge. However the process of debunking myths has in turn led to ideologically laden formula stories which have fixed public knowledge about the causes and impact of domestic violence.

Evidence indicates that advocates and survivors frequently buy into, and in turn reproduce, formula stories. Myths about domestic violence from the perspective of some advocates and survivors are, at least in part, psychological defence mechanisms used to defend against the anxieties, helplessness and distress. They also defend against ‘thinking’ which might reduce the impact of advocacy. This is not only true for those who experience it (as victim/survivors and perpetrators, but it is also the case for the various levels of community and professional groups who face its existence and have to act.

T&F logoTaylor & Francis Group logo
  • Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Cookie Policy
  • Journals
    • Taylor & Francis Online
    • CogentOA
    • Taylor & Francis Online
    • CogentOA
  • Corporate
    • Taylor & Francis Group
    • Taylor & Francis Group
    • Taylor & Francis Group
    • Taylor & Francis Group
  • Help & Contact
    • Students/Researchers
    • Librarians/Institutions
    • Students/Researchers
    • Librarians/Institutions
  • Connect with us

Connect with us

Registered in England & Wales No. 3099067
5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG © 2021 Informa UK Limited