Overview

There’s no such thing as a typical perpetrator.

There are the family men who don’t even realise they’re abusive, the master manipulators who terrorise their partners, the drug addicts caught in a spiral of violence, and a dozen other types in between.

But they all have one thing in common: a compulsion for power and control.

Experts are adamant on this point: domestic violence is not an anger management problem. When perpetrators believe they’re being defied, they can feel like they’re losing control. But they use the abuse—be it physical, emotional or psychological—to subjugate their partners, and regain control.