‘Beyond closed doors’ : recognising, understanding, and preventing intimate partner violence

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the dynamics, risk factors, and preventive strategies related to intimate partner violence (IPV) within the Maltese context. The research employed a semi-structured interview tool to collect primary data from four professionals, including two social workers, a probation officer, and a victim support manager, all of whom work directly in the field of IPV. The aim was to gain deeper insights into how IPV is recognised, understood, and addressed by those directly involved in intervention and prevention. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis framework, resulting in five key themes: power and control, intergenerational transmission, barriers to leaving, mental health and substance use, and systemic challenges. The findings build on existing literature surrounding coercive control and the cycle of abuse (Walker, 1979, Stark, 2007), while shedding light on local service gaps. In particular, participants highlighted how delays in legal processes and poor enforcement of protection orders leave victims vulnerable. The study concludes that effective IPV prevention must be holistic and multi-pronged, involving stronger legal enforcement, improved service coordination, early education, and trauma-informed approaches. These insights largely support existing literature on coercive control (Stark, 2007) and the Cyclical Nature Of Abuse (Walker,1979), while also highlighting context-specific gaps within Maltese system, such as delays in court proceedings and the under-enforcement of protection orders. These insight contribute to more knowledge on gender based violence and inform future policy development in Malta.