Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology

This study proposed a new direction for domestic violence research, considering domestic violence as a process. The application of such a conceptualisation was intended to capture both the dynamic and complex nature of these events. A qualitative methodology based on grounded theory was used to delineate a descriptive model of the offence process in domestic violence from interviews with 10 participants, currently incarcerated at Paparua Prison, Christchurch. These men had current or prior convictions for domestic violence offences. The model that emerged from this study consists of four temporally sequential phases which are described and discussed. These consist of: background factors; build-up offence context phase; offence phase; and post-offence phase. It is suggested that this offence process model will provide a framework for the evaluation of current causal explanations, has the potential to enhance the development of new hypotheses, and has utility in terms of altering current conceptualisations of effective intervention packages.--AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT