Male family violence occurs in the context of intimate relationships.

It is 'a pattern of coercive control that one person exercises over another in order to dominate and get his way. It is behaviour that physically harms, arouses fear, prevents a person from doing what she wants, or compels her to behave in ways she does not freely choose.'*

Family violence can occur in many different kinds of intimate relationships. For example, from one partner towards another, between partners, from a parent to a child, from an adult to an elderly relative, from an adolescent towards a parent. Most frequently however, family violence is perpetrated by men against women and children. Male family violence is an expression of gendered power; that is, the power that men — individually and collectively — have over women and children.

For more information about male family violence, including its various forms and the ways in which men can avoid responsibility for their use of violence, see the About family violence pages of the Men’s Referral Service website.


* Jones, A. & Schechter, S. (1992). When Love Goes Wrong. Melbourne: HarperCollins