Mixed messages: representations of intimate partner abuse in Australian true crime narratives

<p dir="ltr">Violence against women—specifically abuse perpetrated by male intimate partners—has only become recognised as a social problem relatively recently. This thesis begins to address an under-examined dimension: the relationship between true crime writing, intimate partner abuse and community attitudes towards violence against women.</p><p dir="ltr">For intimate partner abuse (IPA) to become accepted as an issue worthy of government intervention, advocates have needed to tell a simple, consistent story defining this social problem. ‘Social problems formula stories’ draw upon recognised social constructs (and the interactions between them) that are readily understood by the community and easily communicated by media to gain the attention of policymakers. In the context of IPA, this formula story comprises four components: severe physical <i>violence</i>, occurring within a <i>family </i>setting, perpetrated by a monstrous <i>villain </i>against an innocent <i>victim</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">Formula stories are integral to achieving social change. However, they necessarily simplify social problems, affecting how the community perceives and responds to those problems. Research shows mainstream media continues to adhere to the IPA formula story, framing IPA as an individual, rather than systemic, issue. As a primary source of information for the public, media reporting significantly influences community understanding of, and attitudes towards, IPA. Attitudes that justify, excuse, trivialise and minimise violence, and shift blame from perpetrators to victims, are known to foster a culture in which IPA can thrive.</p><p dir="ltr">How the true crime genre represents IPA is an emerging field of study. True crime texts are enduringly popular, combining the credibility of journalism with the narrative techniques of fiction writing. It is a powerful means of communicating complex information and effecting social change. This thesis contributes to the evidence base on how the genre may influence community attitudes towards IPA through assessing the strength of the IPA formula story in true crime texts, including whether authors have attempted to locate IPA within its socio-cultural context. Using dialogical narrative analysis, this thesis examines four book-length, Australian, true crime texts concerning the murder of women by their male intimate partner. This research highlights the continued influence of the IPA formula story. It also, however, demonstrates that contemporary true crime authors are testing readers’ understanding of the formula story’s core components of violence, family, victims and villains as well as appropriately framing it as a systemic, rather than individual issue.</p>