In this article, the authors present the main findings from a qualitative study of processes undergone by women who have left abusive male partners. Three overlapping leaving processes are described: Breaking Up, Becoming Free, and Understanding. Breaking Up covers action (i.e., the physical breakup), and the turning point by which it is preceded or with which it coincides is analyzed. Becoming Free covers emotion and involves release from the strong emotional bond to the batterer, a process that entails four stages. Understanding covers cognition, and is a process in which the woman perceives and interprets what she has been subjected to as violence and herself as a battered woman.

Violence in same-sex relationships – what is it and which kind of support is needed? In the following study we show some of the similarities as well as differences between same-sex partner abuse and different-sex partner abuse. We point at the responsibility that authorities and voluntary organizations has for not treating lesbians, homosexual men, bisexual women and men and transsexual women and men (lhbt) in a homophobic way. The lhbt-organizations in turn are not homophobic, but are not well informed about questions that concern partner violence. The respondents in the study also point to the fact that the lhbt-circle is rather small in Sweden. Therefore they fear they have to give up their anonymity to get help and support if they contact an lhbt-organization. This underlines that authorities and heterosexual organizations in general must see to that they get the proper lhbt-competence to meet the needs of victims of same-sex partner abuse.

Ett litet ord betyder så mycketAlliansregeringen, Handlingsplanen och betydelseförskjutningar av begreppet mäns våld mot kvinnor A little word may mean so much: Changed meanings of the concept men's violence against women This article concerns the process of policymaking in the Swedish political system with a focus on the concept of men's violence against women . The material analyzed is based on interviews with key civil servants and the Minister of Equality responsible for the "Action Plan for Combating Men's Violence Against Women" launched by the right wing government in 2007 .The article shows how a shift in the concept of men's violence against women is achieved through complex negotiations involving the administration staff as well as the political representatives . The outcome is a change from an understanding of the issue as a structural gender power relation problem, to explaining it as related to individual deviations . This change has been made by re-wording and editing out earlier understandings of men's violence against women as a structural gender power concern in policies and guidelines, so that the concept is framed as something pertaining to groups of vulnerable women with specific individual obstacles . The political goals are then expressed along the lines of providing support for each group's designated problems, but the connection to gendered power structures is made invisible .

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