Stories of change in men who were violent and abusive to their partners : a collaborative narrative inquiry

Utilizing collaborative narrative inquiry, this study examines the process of change in men who were violent and abusive to their partners and children. The aim of this study is to explore violent offenders' meanings and experience in desisting from violence. The study attempts to deconstruct preconceptions of "change" from a dimensional ontological perspective to explore various dimensions of the experience of change. The results capture a concept of change in the individually unique form of stories in context that contain a series of transition and transformation processes in the lives of the men. The results are full of meaning and tell stories of their journeys that explain how violence and abuse intruded upon their lives, how they became oppressors themselves, how they struggled with hurting their families, and how they redeemed themselves from darkness. The meaning was coconstructed with stories of female victims of intimate violence and abuse at home and brings about a new meaning in desisting from violence and abuse, taking responsibility, and making amends. The reformed offenders’ change processes should not be considered limited only to confrontation and reinforcement but should also require engagement in a reflective process and internal transformation of an existential nature. More importantly, a meaning of change should be coconstructed with victims of intimate violence and abuse.