An exploration of young adult women's experiences of using physical aggression in intimate relationships: A phenomenological study.

Both men and women use physical aggression in intimate relationships however the research examining the many nuances of women's use of physical aggression is sparse in comparison to the research available on men. Because little is known about the motivations and contextual factors leading to women's use of physical aggression in comparison to men, theories of violence and offender treatment programs that were developed for men are being used to understand and treat women. This is problematic because research suggests male and female aggressors differ in some very important areas. The present study used transcendental phenomenology to explore the experience of young adult women's use of physical aggression in intimate relationships. From the interviews with eight women, five themes were discovered: altered state, observations of self as someone else, others not seeing authentic self, moving towards ideal self, and managing connection/disconnection. Implications for counselling and future research are discussed.