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Learn About Coercive Control and Psychological Abuse

Clare’s Research

PhD THESIS TITLE: Men’s Intimate Partner Abuse and Control: Reconciling paradoxical masculinities and social contradictions.

Clare conducted two rounds of qualitative in-depth interviews with 16 men of white European ancestry born and educated in New Zealand or Australia, who admitted to being physically violent and/or emotionally, intellectually, sexually or financially controlling of a live-in female partner. This research was guided by two theories compatible with contemporary feminisms, namely Raewyn Connell’s theory of masculinities and Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory. These theories enabled an exploration of the complexities of each individual man, of men as a collective and of the influences from multiple contexts outside the family. A copy of this thesis can be downloaded here from the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse.

MASTERS THESIS TITLE: Women Coping with Psychological Abuse: Surviving in the Secret World of Male Partner Power and Control.

Clare conducted two rounds of qualitative in-depth interviews with 12 women of white European ancestry who were living in New Zealand. All the women had experienced psychological abuse, independent of physical violence, by their male live-in partner. To qualify for the research the women had to have been out of their relationship for more than one year. This research explored the contradictory social influences on women and the complex multitudinous strategies women used to cope and make sense of the abuse. A copy of this thesis can be downloaded here from the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse.

Articles that cite Clare Murphy’s Masters research:

  • Hann, Sheryl. (2007). Power and control in family violence. Social Work Now, September, 17-25. Available here.
  • Hart, Sarah. (n.d.). “She’s crazy!” … But who says she’s crazy? The effects of psychological abuse on women in Aotearoa New Zealand. Available here.
  • Hart, Sarah. (n.d.). The Rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-19): Through the hermeneutical lens of Aotearoa New Zealand. Available here.

Clare Murphy’s Other Research

  1. Murphy, Clare & Fanslow, Janet (2012). Building collaborations to eliminate family violence: Facilitators, barriers and good practice. Auckland, NZ: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, The University of Auckland. Available here.
  2. Murphy, Clare, & Fanslow, Janet. (2012). Tools to support multi-agency collaboration. Auckland, NZ: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, The University of Auckland. Available here.
  3. Murphy, Clare., Paton, Nicola., Gulliver, Pauline., Fanslow, Janet. (2013). Understanding connections and relationships: Child maltreatment, intimate partner violence and parenting. Auckland, NZ: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, The University of Auckland. Available here.
  4. Murphy, Clare., Paton, Nicola., Gulliver, Pauline., Fanslow, Janet. (2013). Policy and practice implications: Child maltreatment, intimate partner violence and parenting. Auckland, New Zealand: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, The University of Auckland. Available here.

World Health Organisation Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Life Experiences — University of Auckland

Principal Investigator: Janet Fanslow PhD, School of Population Health, University of Auckland.

Clare’s Roles: Research Assistant. Face-to-face interviews with the women and Supervised the other interviewers. Supervision involved quality checking use of random sampling in the field, sitting in on interviews to monitor consistency of interview technique, detailed checking for mistakes in hand-written responses in questionnaires, detailed checking of computer data entries and collating data ready for analysis.

This study was the biggest of its kind in New Zealand to gauge the lifetime prevalence of physical and sexual abuse against women — especially intimate partner abuse.

The research findings:

  1. Fanslow, Janet. (2004). Responding to partner abuse: Understanding its consequences, and recognising the global and historical context. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 117 (1202), 1-4.
  2. Fanslow, Janet & Robinson, Elizabeth. (2004). Violence against women in New Zealand: Prevalence and health consequences. The New Zealand Medical Journal, 117 (1206), 1-12.
  3. Fanslow, Janet, Robinson, Elizabeth, Crengle, Sue & Perese, Lana. (2007). Prevalence of child sexual abuse reported by a cross-sectional sample of New Zealand women. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31, 935-945.
  4. Fanslow, Janet, Silva, Martha, Robinson, Elizabeth & Whitehead, Anna. (2008). Violence during pregnancy: Associations with pregnancy intendedness, pregnancy-related care, and alcohol and tobacco use among a representative sample of New Zealand women. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 48, 398-404.
  5. Fanslow, Janet, Silva, Martha, Whitehead, Anna & Robinson, Elizabeth. (2008). Pregnancy outcomes and intimate partner violence in New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 48, 391-397.
  6. Fanslow, Janet, Whitehead, Anna, Silva, Martha & Robinson, Elizabeth. (2008). Contraceptive use and associations with intimate partner violence among a population-based sample of New Zealand women. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 48, 83-89.
  7. World Health Organization. (2005). WHO multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence against women: New Zealand. Available here.
  8. Fanslow, Janet; Robinson, Elizabeth; Crengle, Sue & Perese, Lana. (2010). Juxtaposing beliefs and reality: Prevalence rates of intimate partner violence and attitudes to violence and gender roles reported by New Zealand women. Violence Against Women, 16, 812-831.
  9. Fanslow, Janet & Robinson, Elizabeth. (2010). Help-seeking behaviors and reasons for help-seeking reported by a representative sample of women victims of intimate partner violence in New Zealand. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25, 929-951.
  10. Fanslow, Janet, Robinson, Elizabeth. (2011). Sticks, stones, or words? Counting the prevalence of different types of intimate partner violence reported by New Zealand women. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 20, 741-759.
  11. Fanslow, Janet, Robinson, Elizabeth. (2011). Physical injuries resulting from intimate partner violence in New Zealand. Injury Prevention, 17, 37-42.

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