How couples desist from violence: A grounded theory

Desistance refers to the “causal process that culminates in and supports the termination of offending” (Walker, Brown, & Bowen, 2012, p. 271). Despite four decades of research, little is understood about desistance from Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Although evidence of desistance exists, the literature is too scant to draw firm conclusions about rates, predictors, or mechanisms of desistance. This study expands desistance literature by using grounded theory methods to elucidate the desistance process in fifteen intact couples, twelve of whom have desisted from violence for at least two years. The primary question this study explored is, how do couples stop being violent? Sub-questions included: 1) what events, experiences, and interventions (i.e., turning points) lead to desistance?; 2) how do changes in individual, contextual, and dyadic factors influence desistance?; 3) how do partners mutually influence the process of desistance?; and 4) how is the process similar or different across couples?

Fourteen couples were interviewed conjointly, with one couple opting to be interviewed separately. Grand tour questions examined the events and experiences that contributed to desistance, while circular and reflexive follow-up questions focused details, contexts, processes, patterns, meanings, effects, and sequences. Initial, open, and axial coding were used to identify actions, form categories, and elucidate relationships, respectively. Efforts to theoretically sample were ineffective, but data collection and analysis continued until categories were saturated and a model was developed.

This model shows that desistance begins with a decision to change. This decision resulted from an event (or events) that led partners to a gut check, followed by a series of deep conversations that enabled couples to get on the same page. Noticing initial changes fortified couples’ decisions to change and began the process of doing things differently. For many couples this meant giving up the fast life. For every couple, this meant focusing on self and changing conflict. The result of doing things differently was growing trust, commitment, acceptance, and satisfaction. Couples fell into four stages of desistance depending on how developed these traits were.

By combining these results with two other desistance studies, a substantive theory begins to take shape that identifies several key processes: a precipitating event, a decision to change, focusing on self, and changing conflict resolution. Differences between this model and other models may be due to sampling differences (i.e., more severe violence and/or intimate terrorism and more individuals changing alone in other samples). Implications for treatment and future directions of researcher are included.