Citation

Enander V. Womens Stud. Int. Forum 2010; 33(2): 81-90.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.wsif.2009.09.009

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In this qualitative study with 22 Swedish women who have left abusive heterosexual relationships, the informants' interpretations of their abusers as ‘Jekyll and Hyde‘ are analysed against the background of two opposite discourses: the pathology/deviance discourse and the feminist/normality discourse. Complex mixes and combinations of understandings were found in the informants' interpretations, which were, however, dominated by conceptualisations traceable to the pathology/deviance discourse. During the analysis of the material a third image emerged, beyond Jekyll and Hyde, i.e. the abusers as ‘hurt boys’. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)