Sexual violations in close relationships – perpetrator perspectives

This project’s main objective is to acquire new knowledge on sexual violence in close or acquaintance relationships by mainly focusing on the perpetrators’ perspective and description of the act(s) of violence. Many sexual violations occur between people who have an established relationship prior to the occurrence of violence. For this reason, ensuring well-founded knowledge of this specific type of violence and the individuals who commit it is essential.

This project includes qualitative interviews with a number of men who have committed this type of sexual violence. Interpretation and comprehension, both of the violations and of the perpetrators’ sense-making of themselves following the abuse, are central analytical tenets. Thus, we will be able to shed light on how these men interpret their own actions. We examine self-conceptualization, interpretation of acts of sexual violence, situational factors, background factors, life situation and conditions, and motivations, rationalizations and justifications in men who have committed this type of sexual violence.

This project uses primarily qualitative methods. The majority of the data will be comprised of semi-structured one-on-one interviews.

This project was part of the Violence in Close Relationships research programme at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (2014-2019).