Violence Against Women in the Home: Kaleidoscopes on a Collision Course?

The paper examines the nature, dynamics and effects of domestic violence as experienced by its victims (including witnesses). This version of ‘reality’ is then contrasted with examples of how, either through its ‘black letter’ words or in its implementation, civil, criminal, family, social security and immigration law may act to obscure and distort this reality. The misunderstanding of dynamics and effects occurs through interpreting domestic violence juxtaposed against a standard of normal assault and response in the public sphere.