“Re-visioning Men’s Violence Against Female Partners.”

Source: (2001) Howard Journal of Criminal Justice. 39(4):412-428.

This article considers some of the tensions surrounding criminal interventions to deal with men’s violence against their female partners. Some argue for increased punishment of violent men, and others focus on a more caring image of justice. The article reviews what has been achieved to deal with men’s violence through the law and criminal justice system and explores the possibility of more restorative approaches, offering constructive rather than penal solutions. Restorative justice processes increase women’s choices, provide women not only with the support of family and friends, but also with a voice, and, through this, may increase women’s safety. By offering constructive rather than penal solutions, restorative processes may also be opted for at an earlier stage in a woman’s experience of violence.